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OF*  A 


CITY 


6LL6NJ.  COOLCY 


THE   HEARTHSTONE   SERIES 

A  series   of   GOOD    STORIES   in    an   attractive 
form  at  a  low  price 

50    cents    each 

A    QUESTION    OF    DAMAGES  J.  T.  Trowbridge 

THE    CAMPION    DIAMONDS  Sophie  May 

THE    MAN    WHO   STOLE    A    MEETING    HOUSE 

J.  T.  Trowbridge 
GETTING    AN    INDORSER  By  Oliver  Optic 

(William  T.  Adams) 

THE  BOOM  OF  A  WESTERN  CITY       Ellen  J.  Cooley 
EXILED    FROM    TWO    LANDS       Everett  T.  Tomlinson 


Our  Complete  Catalogue  sent  on  application 


LEE  and  SHEPARD  Publishers  Boston 


THE 


BOOM  OF  A  WESTERN  CITY 


BY 


ELLEN    HODGES   COOLEY 

u 


Its  birth  a  deed  obstetric  without  peer  ; 

Its  growth  a  source  of  wonder  far  and  near" 


BOSTON 
LEE   AND    SHEPARD    PUBLISHERS 

10    MILK    STREET 
I897 


COPYRIGHT,  1897,  BY  LEE  AND  SHEPARD 


All  rights  reserved 


THE  STORY  OF  A  BOOM  TOWN 


TYPOGRAPHY    BY   C.    J.    PETERS   &   SON,    BOSTON. 
I'RHSSWORK    BY    BERWICK    &   SMITH. 


CONTENTS 


PART  PAGE 

I.  A  STEP  IN  THE  SCALE  OF  GRADATION I 

II.  THE  FULNESS  OF  LIFE 19 

III.  REGRESSION 70 


M105435 


PREFACE 


I  WAS  for  some  years  a  resident  of  the  city  about 
which  I  write,  and  have  held  strictly  to  the  spirit  that 
pervades  a  new  Western  town.  My  description  of  its 
mode  of  conducting  business,  and  of  its  society  at 
that  time,  is  hardly  an  exaggeration ;  while  many  of 
the  incidents  were  of  actual  occurrence,  though  given 
under  fictitious  names  and  such  change  of  circum 
stance  that  there  can  be  no  complaint  of  personal 

allusion. 

E.  H.  C. 


2  DISILLUSION 

the  well-being  of  his  race,  he  is  also  answerable  for 
inventing  diseases  resistless  and  contagious. 

In  the  spring  of  1878,  the  United  States  Mail 
brought  to  Blankridge,  through  papers  and  letters,  a 
species  of  fever  of  human  invention,  —  the  Western 
fever.  Many  were  smitten.  Schoolboys  speedily  re 
covered,  k  but  Bunder  its  influence  several  of  the  sur- 
£lus  pir%of£3?ipnaf  men  departed  their  unpatronized 
Eastern  life.  "  Of  the  "  ne'er-do-wells,"  fortune  favored 
>ije  DrdywJth  a  new  start,  and  he  reached  the  goal  in- 
firectly.  '  An"  inferior  position  on  a  railroad  that  ran 
between  Blankridge  and  Montreal  was  offered  him. 
It  proved  a  stepping-stone  to  roads  west,  and  finally 
landed  him  in  Fargo,  Dakota,  while  the  city  was 
very  young,  though  ripe  for  its  "boom." 

Unknown  to  his  neighbors,  the  disease  attacked 
one  of  the  most  reliable  and  respected  citizens  of  the 
town,  —  Jonathan  Bullard,  resident  of  acres  that  three 
previous  generations  of  his  lineage  had  held  in  posses 
sion.  In  harmony  with  the  operations  of  Nature,  and 
after  the  temperament  of  its  victim,  it  wrought  slowly 
and  silently,  but  none  the  less  surely. 

In  March  it  knew  throes;  gusty  inclinations  to  a 
sudden  decision,  —  a  state  which  Mr.  Bullard's  judg 
ment  termed  desperate,  —  followed  by  spaces  of  calm. 
In  April  confidence  and  doubt  contended,  as  sunshine 
and  showers.  May  brought  calm.  His  mind  brooded, 
as  the  sun  broods  over  earth's  embryos.  Through 
June,  July,  and  August  his  purpose  grew,  and  with 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  3 

the  ripened  harvest  was  matured.  He  now  disclosed 
his  mental  condition  to  his  family;  and  Almira,  the 
only  daughter,  felt  herself  inoculated.  The  subject 
entered  into  daily  conversation ;  and  as  all  the  other 
members  save  Mira  had  escaped  infection,  scenes 
followed  the  nearest  resembling  family  jars  that  had 
ever  occurred  in  this  hitherto  united  household.  Mr. 
Bullard  wished  to  dispose  of  his  farm,  and  take  the 
proceeds,  with  his  family,  to  Fargo. 

"What's  the  use  of  grubbing  along  here  year  in  and 
year  out,  as  father  and  grandfather  did,"  he  argued, 
"  and,  after  all,  wrhen  you  die  leave  nothing  but  the 
same  old  meadows,  the  same  old  sprout-land,  and  the 
same  old  hills  ?  " 

"  Heighty-tighty  !  "  cried  grandmother.  "  Jonathan 
thinks  the  Lord  is  goin'  to  give  him  power  to  create 
new  land  out  West !  " 

"No,  I  don't,  Grannie.  What  I  think  is,  that  the 
Lord  has  a  land  which  'floweth  with  milk  and  honey  ' 
waiting  for  us ;  and  if  we  do  not  go  up  and  take  it,  we 
shall  be  rebels  just  as  much  as  the  children  of  Israel 
were  when  they  refused  Canaan." 

Almira  ran  for  the  family  Bible,  and  fortified  her 
father's  position  by  reading  selections  from  the  thir 
teenth  and  fourteenth  chapters  of  Numbers.  When 
she  paused,  Jonathan  junior,  a  sturdy  lad  of  fourteen, 
made  comment:  "I  wa'n't  born  in  Egypt;  I  live  in 
Blankridge.  Too  many  miles  and  too  many  years 
stand  between  that  story  and  me.  We  don't  think 
it  'plies  ;  do  we,  Grannie  ? " 


4  DISILLUSION 

After  the  death  of  Grandfather  Bollard,  the  boy's 
belongings  had  been  transferred  to  his  grandmother's 
cottage  on  a  farm  adjoining  his  father's ;  and  he  knew 
himself  to  be  already  practical  proprietor  there,  while 
legal  transfer  only  awaited  his  majority.  He  was 
loyal  to  the  trust,  and  walked  in  Grannie's  paths,  and 
swore  by  her  decisions,  regardless  of  other  ties. 

Poor  Mrs.  Bullard,  the  wife,  confessed  to  a  "  perfect 
flutter "  of  indecision  ;  but  this  mental  state  was  of 
such  frequent  occurrence  on  all  subjects,  that  it  re 
ceived  little  sympathy  from  the  family,  and  weakened 
her  influence  on  either  side  of  the  question.  Regard 
and  duty  pleaded  in  favor  of  her  husband  and  daugh 
ter  ;  inclination  and  " sense"  bound  her  to  Gran 
nie  and  her  son.  Thus  rent,  her  suspended  decision 
ran  :  — 

"  I  wish  we'd  never  seen  the  newspapers ;  then 
'twould  have  all  gone  on  just  the  same.  And  no  mat 
ter  if  we  don't  make  money.  Jonnie  is  provided  for, 
and  we've  got  enough  ahead  now  to  give  Mira  a  good 
setting  out ;  not  that  there's  any  particular  need,  for 
the  Peterses  have  all  got  money  in  the  bank,  and  to 
spare — if  she  only  would." 

This  connection  of  surname  and  pronoun  implied 
a  desired  connection,  through  the  bond  of  wedlock, 
between  Alonzo  Peters  and  her  daughter  Almira. 
Alonzo  had  never,  by  vocal  expression,  given  her  a 
right  to  cherish  such  a  hope ;  but  if  there  is  truth  in 
the  time-honored  maxim,  "  Actions  speak  louder  than 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN"  5 

words,"  he  was  only  waiting  sufficient  encouragement 
from  the  lady  in  question  to  justify  his  giving  voice 
to  the  aspiration. 

Though  little  respected  in  Blankridge  community, 
the  "ne'er-do-well,"'  Mr.  Mateson,  had  fed  the  flame 
of  Mr.  Bullard's  fever.  By  his  advice  the  editors  of 
the  two  Fargo  papers,  opposed  in  politics,  had  for 
some  months  supplied  Blankridge  village  store  with 
their  daily  publications;  and  Mrs.  Mateson's  letters 
to  her  friends  portrayed  the  city  as  a  very  Eldorado. 
Grannie  warned  her  son  against  placing  confidence  in 
newspaper  items  or  advertisements,  much  less  to  trust 
the  stones  of  "those  shiftless  Matesons."  Mr.  Bui- 
lard  admitted  the  liability  of  the  former  to  exaggera 
tion  ;  but  had  not  the  Mateson  head  sent  substantial 
tokens  of  his  own  prosperity  ?  And  when  such  as  he 
could  liquidate  debts  that  his  creditors  had  months 
before  crossed  from  the  debit  side  of  their  account 
as  less  in  value  than  the  paper  they  covered  would 
be  to  the  ragman ;  and  when,  in  addition,  he  could 
send  cash  to  reclothe  his  family,  and  pay  their  passage 
to  join  him,  did  it  not  prove  the  fatness  of  the  land 
neither  a  myth  nor  a  hoax? 

Mira  had  heard  of  these  letters;  and  after  "out 
West"  had  assumed  a  personal  interest,  she  resolved 
to  read  them  with  her  own  eyes,  and  weigh  them  with 
her  own  judgment.  They  were  easily  found,  and 
readily  given  for  her  perusal.  Mrs.  Mateson's  descrip 
tion  of  the  style  of  dress  prevalent  in  Fargo  was  all 


6  DISILLUSION 

gossip  had  promised  ;  it  far  exceeded  anything  worn 
in  their  village,  even  by  the  merchant's  and  lawyer's 
wives.  Interesting  as  was  this  feature  of  society,  it 
impressed  the  present  reader  less  than  did  the  de 
scription  of  the  .city,  —  its  energy,  its  "  push,"  whether 
in  amusements  or  improvements;  its  whole-souled  gen 
erosity,  that  bound  its  citizens  together  as  brethren, 
and  had  no  cold  shoulder  for  a  stranger. 

While  this  testimony  was  only  hearsay,  Mira  had 
felt  the  whole  current  of  her  being  setting  Dakota- 
ward  ;  in  the  light  of  this  incontestable  evidence,  she 
professed  herself  "just  crazy  to  go."  Mrs.  Bullard 
listened  to  the  story  until  her  restless  heart  found 
haven  in  her  daughter's  enthusiasm,  and  her  hus 
band's  convictions  pinioned  it  there.  Weary  of  stem 
ming  the  current,  Grannie  next  gave  reluctant  con 
sent;  and  Jonnie  thereafter  held  his  peace. 

As  male  head  of  both  households,  Mr.  Bullard's 
power  was  supreme,  and  his  obligation  to  consult  the 
preferences  or  prejudices  of  his  family  could,  accord 
ing  to  the  patriarchal  standard  in  vogue  in  Blankridge, 
hardly  be  called  a  moral  bond:  but  his  youth  had  been 
carefully  trained  after  Solomon's  injunction,  and  his 
age  doubly  fulfilled  the  prophecy;  for  he  could  no 
more  depart  from  his  mother's  positive  commands 
than  from  the  virtues  she  had  inculcated. 

In  process  of  time,  Mr.  Bullard  freely  spoke  of  his 
intentions  in  the  village ;  and  while  family  objections 
still  held  his  purpose  in  abeyance,  though  Blankridge 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  / 

was  no  growing  town,  customers  came  to  price  the 
property;  for  the  reputation  of  the  Bullard  farm  was 
as  untarnished  as  was  the  character  of  its  proprietor. 
"  Not  but  what  Natur'  has  made  its  ekul  frequent," 
was  decreed  in  the  self-constituted  court  that  held 
consecutive  evening  sittings  round  the  village  grocer's 
stove;  "but  we  know  jest  where  to  find  his  land. 
His  fences,  they're  kept  up.  His  mow  pieces  ain't 
run  out  for  want  o'  dressin'.  He  don't  expect  the 
ground  to  hold  out  yielding  sixty  bushels  o'  corn  to  an 
acre  without  a  little  encouragement.  In  consequence, 
his  farm  is  worth  more  money  to-day  than  it  was  thirty 
years  ago;  and  he's  made  a  good  livin'  out  of  it,  too, 
and  laid  up  money  to  boot,  we  bet." 

Waiting  within  scorching  radius  of  this  same  stove 
for  one  dollar's  worth  of  sugar  to  be  weighed  and 
packaged,  Alonzo  Peters  first  heard  of  Mr.  Bullard's 
proposed  movement.  His  face  assumed  the  hue  of 
the  glowing  sheet-iron  that  had  generously  responded 
to  the  full  draft  turned  on  by  a  customer  who  came 
in  chilly  from  a  long  ride ;  then  it  paled  so  wofully 
as  to  attract  attention,  even  in  the  imperfect  light 
diffused  through  the  smoky  chimneys  of  kerosene 
burners. 

"  Sick,  Lon  ?  "  asked  a  friend.  "  You  look  as  white 
as  a  sheet." 

"  I  do  feel  a  little  faintish.  Getting  too  warm,  I 
guess ; "  and  he  pushed  his  chair  behind  the  molasses 
hogshead,  thus  screening  himself  not  only  from  the 


8  DISILLUSION 

miniature  fiery  furnace,  but  from  the  lamp's  disclo 
sures  and  his  friend's  gaze. 

"  Sugar's  ready,"  called  the  grocer.  But  it  was 
some  moments  before  the  young  man  could  summon 
fortitude  to  rise,  or  find  strength  to  bear  his  purchase 
forth. 

Though  Alonzo's  respect  for  the  Bullard  family  was 
sincere,  only  one  member  of  it  was  capable  of  hasten 
ing  or  retarding  his  pulse  ;  only  one  woman  in  the 
world  was  capable  of  reducing  his  strong  manhood  to 
the  weakness  above  recorded.  Outside,  the  keen  No 
vember  blast  was  inadequate  to  nerve  his  feeble  pulse ; 
but  it  did  brace  his  timid  heart  to  the  extent  of  resolv 
ing  to  seek  Almira  Bullard  that  very  night,  and  tell 
her,  not  his  hopes,  for  these  had  vanished  before  the 
great  destiny  that  awaited  her,  but  his  love,  his  fears. 

Absorbed  in  this  intention,  he  passed  his  father's 
door,  oblivious  of  his  package  until  its  lessening 
weight  awoke  him  to  the  consciousness  that  he  was 
literally  making  sweet  his  path  with  its  contents. 
Retracing  his  steps,  he  dropped  the  despoiled  pur 
chase  on  the  kitchen  table,  hoping  to  escape  unseen. 

"  What  has  happened,  Alonzo  ? "  cried  his  mother, 
entering  from  the  sitting-room  just  as  he  was  in  the 
act  of  escaping  through  the  outer  entrance.  "Have 
you  been  robbed  ? "  spying  his  flabby  parcel. 

Ignoring  the  saccharine  loss  in  the  supreme  loss 
approaching,  Alonzo's  reply,  borne  back  on  the  breeze 
occasioned  by  his  rapid  exit,  was  in  accordance  with 
his  thought ,  — 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  9 

"Going  to  be!" 

Mrs.  Peters  sank  into  a  chair,  too  bewildered  to 
take  the  comfort  that  peaceful  times  afforded  from  the 
knowledge  that  the  sitting-room  china-closet  contained 
a  gun ;  or  to  gather  inspiring  confidence  from  the 
fact  that  her  husband  was  even  then  sitting  with  his 
chair  tipped  back  against  the  door  of  this  same  recess, 
his  head  reposing  on  its  centre  panel. 

Weather  prophets  had  said  the  sky  betokened  snow ; 
and  as  Alonzo  rapidly  made  his  way  toward  Mr.  Bui- 
lard's  house,  their  prediction  was  spitefully  fulfilled. 

"  More  likely  to  find  her  home,  and  less  likely  to 
find  company,"  he  muttered,  drawing  down  the  ear- 
laps  of  his  cap,  and  tucking  his  coat-sleeves  into 
the  long  wristers  of  his  home-knit  mittens.  Light 
streamed  cheerily  from  their  parlor  windows.  It  for 
tified  his  courage,  if  it  did  not  inspire  hope.  Jonnie 
responded  to  his  knock. 

"  Come  in  ;  we  are  all  here  talking  it  over,"  was 
his  pleasant  greeting. 

Alonzo  was  in  no  mood  to  "  talk  it  over  "  in  family 
assembly,  but  he  could  find  no  excuse  for  not  enter 
ing.  He  was  greeted  not  only  by  both  branches  of 
the  Bullard  family,  but  Patience  Armstrong,  the 
"fashionable  dressmaker"  of  Blankridge,  sat  with 
her  feet  on  the  fender,  looking  so  domesticated  that 
he  felt  sure  any  attempt  to  see  Mira  alone  that  even 
ing,  or  probably  for  a  week  to  come,  would  prove 
futile.  But  he  was  mistaken  in  his  inference  that 


IO  DISILLUSION 

Miss  Armstrong  was  a  permanent  guest:  for  no 
sooner  had  he  risen  to  depart,  as  the  clock  struck 
nine,  than  she  jumped  up,  declaring  that  she,  too, 
must  go ;  and  as  their  road  lay  in  the  same  direction, 
he  had  no  choice  but  to  escort  her,  not  only  as  far 
as  his  own  door,  but  to  her  own,  a  good  mile  beyond. 

Not  until  he  had  left  Miss  Armstrong  under  the 
protection  of  her  father's  roof,  refusing  her  urgent 
invitation  to  enter  in  language  more  terse  than  cour 
teous,  did  Alonzo  have  opportunity  to  cherish  his  dis 
appointment  in  not  having  been  able  to  see  Almira 
alone,  or  to  reflect  upon  the  further  light  that  the 
evening's  conversation  had  thrown  upon  the  family 
flitting.  Almira  had  told  him  that  she  anticipated  the 
proposed  change  with  unmingled  delight,  that  she 
had  used  all  her  influence  to  win  her  mother's  con 
sent,  and  that  she  should  leave  Blankridge  without 
one  sigh  of  regret.  Mr.  Bullard  had  fully  discussed 
his  prospects  of  selling  out,  named  the  price  he  set 
on  his  farm,  and  said  he  hoped  to  dispose  of  the  live 
stock  and  household  effects  just  as  they  stood.  When 
the  conversation  became  animated,  and  so  general 
that  there  was  no  danger  of  her  being  overheard, 
Mrs.  Bullard  had  drawn  him  aside,  and  confided  many 
of  her  vacillations  to  him  :  for  he  was  on  very  friendly 
terms  with  the  mother ;  indeed,  more  at  ease  with  her 
than  with  the  daughter. 

He  thought  of  the  subject  all  the  way  home.  It 
lay  uppermost  in  his  mind  while  apologizing  to  his 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  I  I 

mother  for  his  hasty  manner  of  the  early  evening.  It 
flooded  his  brain  all  through  the  long  watches  of  the 
night.  Irritating  as  had  been  the  necessity  of  ac 
companying  Miss  Armstrong  home,  his  sacrifice  had 
brought  its  reward.  She  had  told  him  that  a  day 
would  intervene  before  commencing  her  reign  at  Mr. 
Bullard's.  '*  And  then  I  shall  most  likely  be  there  up 
to  the  very  last,  they  are  both  having  so  much,"  she 
explained. 

"  But  the  farm  isn't  disposed  of  yet  I  thought 
their  going  was  contingent  upon  that  ? "  Alonzo 
made  this  assertion  a  query,  in  order  to  further  draw 
out  his  companion. 

"There  are  three  different  parties  ready  to  take  it 
to-morrow,  live-stock  and  all,"  she  answered.  "  But 
they  don't  want  the  furniture.  He  won't  hold  off  long 
on  account  of  that,  though,  for  'twould  fetch  more  at 
auction ;  and  that  he  allows,  only  he  has  taken  a  whim 
to  lump  the  whole  thing.  I  tell  him  'tis  a  leading 
that  he'll  come  back  in  the  spring,  and  want  it  all 
again  ;  and  I  only  wish  I  had  the  cash  to  buy  him  out. 
Wouldn't  I  make  him  pay  well  for  his  little  holiday ! 
I'd  make  as  much  as  I  can  save  in  ten  years  at  my , 
trade." 

Tossing  and  turning  wearily  on  his  bed,  his  whole 
sentient  being  enveloped  in  darkness  more  obscure 
than  the  rayless  night,  suddenly  a  meteor  light  flashed 
across  Alonzo's  mental  vision.  Why  should  not  he 
make  the  purchase  —  possess  himself  of  the  whole 


12  DISILLUSION 

Bullard  estate?  His  own  bank-book  would  go  far 
toward  payment,  and  his  father's  would  meet  the  bal 
ance.  His  mother  had  often  urged  his  setting  up  for 
himself;  and  though  the  connubial  partnership  she  ad 
vocated  with  Miss  Armstrong  was  little  to  his  taste, 
time  would  disabuse  her  of  that  illusion. 

To  till  her  father's  acres,  to  milk  his  cows,  to  guide 
his  oxen,  to  drive  his  horse,  would  be  a  close  link 
between  himself  and  Mira.  To  dwell  in  the  rooms 
she  had  glorified  with  her  presence  would,  albeit  mel 
ancholy,  be  consolation  triumphant  for  his  loss.  He 
would  hold  everything  as  in  trust;  for  they  might 
return,  as  Patience  had  suggested.  Then  he  would 
relinquish  his  claim,  and  win  at  least  her  gratitude. 
Alonzo  had  not  been  educated  in  florid  speech,  and 
he  thought  this  out  in  very  commonplace  idiom.  Yet 
none  the  less  was  his  heart  as  full  of  devotion  as  is 
the  poet's,  and  of  passion  as  is  the  poet's  song. 

At  the  breakfast-table  he  stated  his  desire  to  pur 
chase  the  Bullard  estate,  and  the  proposal  met  with 
no  opposition. 

"  The  price  is  stiff,"  said  Father  Peters  ;  "  but  there's 
one  thing  in  its  favor,  there'll  be  no  leakages  to  stop. 
Everything  is  ship-shape  to  begin  with.  You'll  know 
just  as  well  what  land  to  let  lay,  and  what  to  till,  as 
though  you'd  owned  it  fifty  years." 

"And  the  house  and  furniture  are  plenty  good  enough 
for  Patience  Armstrong,  nice  as  she  is,"  cried  Mrs. 
Peters.  "  I  don't  see  anything  to  hinder  your  getting 
married  right  away." 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  13 

"  Pooh,  pooh,  mother !  'Tisn't  a  wife  I'm  looking 
for;  'tis  a  home." 

"  And  what's  a  home  without  a  wife,  I  should  like  to 
know  ?  'Tis  a  house  without  a  candle,  a  heaven  with 
out  a  moon."  The  good  woman  paused,  red-faced  at 
her  own  eloquence.  Presently,  recovering  herself,  she 
continued,  — 

"  That  isn't  the  way  you've  been  brought  up,  Alonzo, 
to  go  against  women-folks." 

"  I  don't  go  against  you,  mother.  You  shall  be  head 
of  the  house ;  and  I'll  get  some  strong,  likely  Irish  girl 
for  you  to  boss." 

"  Your  father  didn't  begin  that  way.  Times  have 
changed  for  the  worse."  Mrs.  Peters  emphasized  this 
assertion  with  a  sigh. 

"After  the  chores  are  done  up,  I  think  I'll  go  over 
and  talk  with  Mr.  Bullard  this  very  morning,"  was 
Alonzo's  response. 

Mr.  Peters  gazed  at  his  son  in  blank  astonishment. 

"  Why,  Lon !  Why !  What's  come  over  you  ? 
Where's  the  hurry  ?  We'll  work  round  to  it  before 
spring  ploughing  comes  on.  Moderation  and  discree- 
tion  go  hand  in  hand,  my  boy." 

"  But  somebody  will  get  ahead  of  us.  I  hear  he  is 
going  to  square  up  right  away." 

"  I  know  Jonathan  Bullard.  He  isn't  the  man  to 
rush.  It  would  look  unbecoming  on  both  sides ;  as  if 
we  were  trying  to  take  advantage  of  each  other,  you 
know." 


14  DISILLUSION 

Alonzo  had  every  incentive  to  observe  the  proprie 
ties,  but  influences  were  equally  strong  in  favor  of  ac 
tion.  For  the  next  hour  torturous  thought  moistened 
his  brow  far  more  copiously  than  did  the  labor  de 
manded  by  the  chores.  It  would  not  let  him  rest ;  so, 
in  spite  of  his  father's  advice,  after  the  home  claims  of 
the  morning  were  satisfied,  he  repaired  to  his  chamber, 
and  presently  appeared  before  his  mother  dressed  in 
his  best  suit  of  clothes. 

"I  guess  I'll  just  drop  over  to  the  Bullards',"  he  ex 
plained.  "  Don't  know  as  I  shall  say  anything." 

"  You  look  more  as  if  you's  going  to  bargain  for  a 
wife  than  for  a  farm,"  was  her  response.  "  You'd 
better  take  in  the  Armstrongs'  on  your  way  home. 
Nobody  can  say  you've  been  in  a  hurry  there." 

The  little  flush  that  greeted  this  advice  encouraged 
Mrs.  Peters  to  hope  he  contemplated  obeying  her  sug 
gestion.  Unduly  eager  as  Alonzo's  parents  thought 
him  to  possess  the  Bullard  property,  to  possess  their 
daughter  was  the  source,  the  very  fountain-head,  of  his 
desire.  Consequently,  arrived  at  their  house,  he  first 
asked  for  Mira. 

"  She's  gone  to  the  barn  to  hunt  hens'  nests,"  said 
Mrs.  Bullard.  "  Father  had  to  go  to  the  Centre  on 
business,  and  we're  going  to  cook  up  to-day,  getting 
ready  for  Patience,  who  comes  to-morrow  for  a  long 
job  ;  and  Mira  must  help  all  she  can.  I  must  say,  tear 
ing  up  is  awful,  if  it  does  have  some  pleasant  things 
about  it.  If  Mira  hadn't  gone  in  for  it  so  strong,  I 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  1 5 

could  have  stopped  father ;  but  I  couldn't  influence 
her.  I  don't  know  whether  anybody  else  could." 

With  the  young  man's  inquiry  for  her  daughter,  Mrs. 
Bullard  felt  her  Western  inclinations  weaken.  His 
visit  seemed  portentous.  It  might  be  capable  of  hold 
ing  better  things  than  even  Fargo  could  offer.  She 
was  a  modest  woman,  and  to  thrust  Mira  upon  any  one 
was  far  from  her  desire.  But  she  felt  there  is  a  time 
for  all  things,  and  Alonzo's  attentions  in  the  past  had 
been  sufficiently  marked  to  justify  her  in  giving  him  a 
hint. 

"  Perhaps  I  had  better  go  out  to  the  barn  and  help 
her,"  was  his  response.  "  Climbing  is  dangerous  for 
girls  sometimes." 

"Thank  you  ;    do,"  encouraged  Mrs.  Bullard. 

He  arrived  at  the  barn  too  late  to  be  of  any  service 
in  Mira's  quest ;  but  their  seclusion  was  propitious  for 
disclosing  his  desire :  so  with  the  courage  of  honest 
sincerity  he  told  his  love.  His  suit  was  rejected.  In 
deed,  Mira's  whole  being,  heart  and  soul,  was  already 
so  far  West,  that  the  present  held  hardly  more  signifi 
cance  to  her  than  it  does  to  a  somnambulist. 

"  We'll  always  be  good  friends,  Lon,"  she  said  when 
he  had  ceased  speaking.  "  But  I've  got  lots  to  think 
about  now,  and  lots  to  do.  Maybe  if  I  settle  in  Da 
kota,  you'll  come  out  and  visit  me."  Her  eyes  rested 
on  his  face  with  an  expression  that  proved  she  grasped 
nothing  nearer  home  than  the  territory  she  mentioned, 
though  merriment  sparkled  in  their  depths  as  she  con- 


16  DISILLUSION 

tinued,  "They  say,  you  know,  when  one  jumps  off 
the  cars  in  those  new  towns,  the  question  isn't,  '  Have 
a  hack  ? '  '  Have  a  hack  ? '  but,  '  Have  a  husband  ? ' 
'  Have  a  husband  ? '  Oh,  it  must  be  great  fun  !  " 

"  Perhaps  you'd  do  just  as  well  to  take  a  husband 
nearer  home,"  said  Lon  doggedly. 

"  Oh,  'tisn't  that !  I  was  joking.  What  do  I  want 
of  a  husband  ?  'Tis  the  life,  the  stir,  the  fun,  I  long 
for  !  " 

"  I  shall  never  marry  any  one  else,"  was  his  parting 
declaration. 

Mira  laughed  gayly.  "And  I  don't  expect  to;  but 
let's  make  no  rash  promises." 

Alonzo  had  hardly  gained  the  road  when  he  met 
Mr.  Bullard  returning  home.  They  exchanged  greet 
ings.  The  younger  man  felt  himself  possessed  by  the 
spirit  of  acquisitiveness.  It  was  that  which  spoke, 
and  not  his  father's  caution. 

"I  am  thinking  of  buying  your  farm,  Mr.  Bullard." 

"  Well  done,  Lon  !  It's  just  the  thing  for  you ! 
Strange  I  never  thought  of  it,  for  I've  heard  your 
father  say  a  dozen  times  he  wished  you'd  set  up  for 
yourself.  I've  put  the  price  low,  but  I'll  be  hanged 
if  I  wouldn't  come  down  a  peg  or  two  to  you.'7 

Alonzo  would  not  accept  the  invitation  to  "  come  in 
and  talk  it  over ;  "  but  he  followed  Mr.  Bullard  to  the 
barn,  assisted  in  removing  the  harness  from  the  horse, 
discussing  the  animal's  merits  meanwhile,  counted 
the  cattle,  commended  the  goodly  store  of  fodder,  in- 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  I/ 

quired  the  breed  of  fowl,  and  even  admired  the  cats. 
And  he  then  and  there  resolved  to  bind  Mira  to  him 
to  the  extent  of  immediate  purchase.  Though  to  pos 
sess  himself  of  her  accidents  was  a  poor  substitute  for 
herself,  it  would  at  least  savor  of  spiritual  association. 

To  Father  Peters 's  confusion  of  intellect,  the  writ 
ings  of  transfer  were  drawn  in  less  than  a  month, 
signed,  sealed,  and  recorded.  The  purchase  included 
all  the  household  stores  ;  not  an  article  was  disturbed. 
Personal  wardrobe  alone  was  removed. 

"  Such  a  thing  was  never  heard  of  in  the  country 
as  jumping  into  so  much  so  sudden,"  Mr.  Peters  re 
peatedly  declared.  "  I  am  afraid  it  won't  hold  good. 
Such  hurry  isn't  natural.  It  is  ^//-natural.  I  can't 
think  what's  come  over  Jonathan  Bullard." 

His  puzzled  condition  was  somewhat  relieved  by 
Mr.  Ballard's  confession  that  "  it  most  put  him  out  of 
breath  to  do  things  up  in  such  a  hurry." 

Could  Mr.  Peters  have  known  his  wife's  secret  wish, 
he  would  have  thought  her  "  possessed."  She  hoped 
the  wheel  of  fortune  would  not  pause  in  its  swift 
revolutions  until  it  had  united  her  son,  through  the 
holy  bond  of  matrimony,  to  Blankridge's  fashionable 
dressmaker,  Patience  Armstrong. 

The  former  proprietor  did  not  impede  the  wheel's 
impetus  by  long  continuance  in  the  house  Alonzo  had 
purchased.  On  the  evening  of  the  twenty-sixth  of 
December  the  express-train  paused  at  Blankridge  Sta 
tion  ;  and  Jonathan  Bullard,  his  wife  and  daughter, 


1 8  DISILLUSION 

were  the  passengers  for  whom  it  was  signalled.  An 
unprecedented  crowd  gathered  to  see  them  off. 

"  Dear  Lon,  don't  look  so  sober ! "  whispered  Mira, 
as  they  stood  apart.  "  You  know  I  have  always  loved 
you,  from  my  very  babyhood.  We  shall  meet  again  ; 
every  fibre  of  my  being  tells  me  so." 

Her  sincerity  was  none  the  less  genuine  that  the 
artlessness  of  girlhood  marked  it.  But  her  tone  was 
light ;  for  the  solemnity  appropriate  to  so  wide  a 
separation,  into  "foreign  parts"  as  Grannie  termed 
their  removal,  was  crowded  out  by  exultation. 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  19 


PART    II 

THE    FULNESS    OF    LIFE 

THE  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  employed  Western 
men  on  its  trains.  They  alone  were  fitted  to  endure 
the  rigors  of  the  climate,  they  alone  were  suited  to 
the  pressing  demands  of  a  new  country.  Their  zeal, 
their  energy,  their  "  push,"  were  indispensable  to  cope 
with  Nature's  formations,  —  her  mighty  rivers,  her 
boundless  prairies.  Such  was  the  theoretic  decree  of 
the  powers  that  ruled. 

In  fact,  the  employees  were  restless,  reckless  charac 
ters  from  north,  south,  and  east,  whose  elastic  con 
sciences  allowed  them  to  make  false  oaths  respecting 
their  own  lineage,  or  on  any  other  subject  that  pleased 
their  fancy  or  seemed  to  advance  their  interests. 

On  the  last  day  of  December,  1878,  the  through  train 
from  the  East  found  itself  losing  time  when  about  one 
hundred  miles  west  of  Minneapolis.  The  wind  was 
dead  against  it ;  and  if  the  clouds  were  not  dispensing 
snow,  the  elements  were  getting  up  a  decided  "bliz 
zard"  with  that  already  fallen. 

As  though  connected  by  a  magnetic  batten',  the 
breast  of  every  train-hand,  from  the  highest  official 
to  the  ignoble  chore-boy,  felt  himself  animated  by  the 


2O  DISILLUSION 

contest  with  Nature.  The  engineer  replenished  his 
fire.  "  Worth  the  risk !  "  he  mentally  cried,  remember 
ing  his  boiler  lacked  the  strength  of  youth,  or  the  flex 
ibility  of  modern  invention.  As  nearly  as  was  possible 
for  an  obese  person,  devoid  of  literal  or  spiritual  wings, 
the  conductor  flew  from  carriage  to  carriage.  Impa 
tient  of  the  demands  due  to  the  smaller  way-stations, 
the  person  in  charge  of  the  brakes  applied  them  too 
soon,  discovered  he  was  stopping  the  train  a  half-mile 
outside  the  settlement,  then  whizzed  them  on  again. 
Before  mechanical  combination  could  accommodate 
itself  to  such  rapid  changes,  they  were  equally  far 
beyond  the  station.  It  was  all  the  same.  Passengers 
were  qui  vive.  Men  passed  and  repassed,  doubled 
and  redoubled,  with  a  rapidity  that  puzzled  even  their 
dogs,  who  fastened  themselves  on  the  wrong  masters, 
then,  in  olfactory  disgust,  fled  in  rabid  haste.  Like 
the  tumblers  in  a  circus,  boys  were  under  everybody's 
feet,  and  under  the  car-wheels,  too,  for  aught  anybody 
knew  or  cared.  A  few  women  shrieked,  and  a  few  of 
Eastern  origin  would  have  fainted  had  there  been  time 
for  "  nonsense."  This  programme  was  repeated,  with 
slight  variations,  at  every  stopping-place  until  they 
reached  Moorehead.  Time-tables  indicated  that  our 
train  and  that  on  the  Manitoba  road  should  meet  at 
this  city ;  but  emulation  was  the  motto  of  each  engi 
neer,  and  the  departing  whistle  of  the  latter  engine 
sounded  triumphantly  as  the  former  drew  up  to  the 
station.  Chagrin  added  its  stamp  to  the  countenances 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  21 

that  had  before  blazed  with  enthusiasm,  —  chagrin,  that 
assumed  the  hue  of  literal  mortification  when  the  tele 
graph  operator  rushed  out  to  inform  the  conductor 
that  he  was  beaten  by  eight  seconds ;  when  the  station 
agent  called  to  the  engineer,  '•  Reckon  you  took  a  nap 
on  the  road !  "  when  the  restaurant  waiters  chaffed 
the  porters  for  sluggishness,  and  the  station  boot 
blacks  the  train  ditto. 

The  cars  were  more  than  crowded;  they  were 
packed,  they  were  jammed.  It  was  as  if  all  creation 
had  awakened  to  Horace  Greeley's  advice,  "  Go  West, 
young  man  !  Go  West !  "  Whatever  the  temperature 
outside,  inside  the  carriages  •  the  heat  was  intense. 
"  Nothing  stingy  about  Western  men.  Pile  in  the 
wrood  !  "  The  most  sluggish  blood  on  board  was  fired. 
It  reciprocated  the  engineer's  mental  ejaculation,  "  I'll 
come  in  ahead  at  Fargo,  if  my  old  filibuster,"  indi 
cating  his  engine,  "  lands  us  in  hell !  "  In  just  fifty- 
nine  and  three-sevenths  seconds  the  train  was  again  in 
motion,  only  nine  and  one-seventh  seconds  behind  the 
departure  of  the  Manitoba.  Passengers  crowded  out 
of  the  cars  on  to  the  platforms  and  steps.  Eager  faces 
from  within  tried  in  vain  to  peer  through  the  frost-en 
crusted  windows.  All  sentient  being  was  en  rapport 
with  the  race,  though  night  shadows  and  the  blinding 
snow  would  have  cheated  vision  had  the  roads  run 
parallel.  To  accomplish  the  short  mile  between  the 
station  left  behind  and  Fargo  wras  the  task  of  a  mo 
ment  —  a  breath,  a  puff !  Yet  again  was  enginery  un- 


22  DISILLUSION 

equal  to  the  occasion.  It  shot  past  the  Headquarters 
(hotel  and  station-house  combined)  as  though  pro 
pelled  by  powder.  Every  official  knew  that  the  West 
ern  train  was  due  at  Fargo  simultaneously  with  their 
own  arrival ;  that  the  double  track  extended  only 
about  three  furlongs  beyond  the  station ;  that  the 
switch  would  be  turned  to  accommodate  the  down 
train ;  that  a  miracle  could  not  stop  them  within  those 
three  furlongs  unless  magic  remodelled  their  whole 
machinery,  and  that  double-distilled  magic  could  not 
accomplish  this  in  the  time  allotted,  nor  even  think  it 
out.  Yet  not  a  heart  quaked,  not  a  cheek  blanched. 
Their  blood  mounted  to  the  height  of  rapture. 

"  Hooray  !  Something  will  turn  up  !  We  never  yet 
got/?///" 

The  switchman  was  literally  Western  and  alert. 

Whiz-z-z  !  He  spied  the  flying  headlight  while  it  was 
yet  on  the  bridge  between  the  two  cities ;  took  in  that 
the  Western  train  was  not  in  sight.  One  dash  at  the 
switch  —  O.  K. !  He  sprang  back  in  season  not  to  be 
drawn  under  by  suction.  One  more  successful  stroke ; 
no  time  for  trial  skill.  Whiz-z-z  !  Back  flew  the  re 
versed  engine,  obedient  to  the  no  less  skilful  control 
of  its  master ;  and  in  its  wake  the  down  lightning  ex 
press  followed  close,  yet  not  so  close  but  the  last 
wheel  of  the  last  coach  on  the  Eastern  train  was  safe 
on  its  own  track,  and  the  switch  righted  to  accommo 
date  its  legitimate  transfer. 

" '  Scaped  by  a  hair's  breadth ! "  chuckled  the  switch- 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  23 

man,  he  alone  fully  cognizant  of  the  sublime  feat.  Of 
course  his  hair  stood  on  end,  but  that  condition  had 
become  chronic.  The  situation  was  not  exceptional. 

Before  they  reached  Moorehead,  Mrs.  Bullard  had 
paled  under  the  cumulation  of  electricity;  but  Mira's 
cheeks  glowed,  and  her  pulse  kept  pace  with  the  car's 
progress. 

"Isn't  this  living!"  she  cried. 

"  Seems  to  me  we  are  hurrying  up  considerable," 
replied  Mr.  Bullard. 

With  his  jackknife  he  scraped  the  frost  from  a  por 
tion  of  the  window ;  then,  making  a  tunnel  of  his 
hands,  he  pressed  them  close  against  the  cleared 
space,  and  peered  out.  "  No,  we  are  stop "  —  the 
present  participle  with  which  intention  would  have 
concluded  this  sentence,  by  force  of  circumstance  was 
changed  to  the  past  —  "ed." 

Before  he  had  fairly  grasped  the  situation,  Mira 
cried,  "  Here  we  go  again  !  We  get  off  at  the  next 
station.  Don't  you  remember  ?  Only  the  Red  River 
separates  Moorehead  from  Fargo." 

Mrs.  Bullard  joined  in  the  task  of  collecting  valises, 
packages,  baskets,  and  wraps ;  and  "before  they  were 
fairly  in  order  and  apportioned  to  individual  care,  the 
train,  after  its  wild  chase  up  the  road,  and  its  backing 
down,  all  unguessed  by  the  passengers,  with  a  few  last 
inane  advances  and  recedings  halted  at  the  right  spot, 
and  our  friends  struggled  to  the  platform.  The  con 
test  was  brief.  That  crowd  did  not  consist  of  daw- 


24  DISILLUSION 

dlers.  Hackmen,  baggage-men,  station-men,  porters, 
clerks,  boys,  dogs,  —  all  did  their  duty  in  vociferations. 
The  engines  did  not  subside  speedily,  but  continued 
to  ring  and  puff  and  whiz  in  the  liveliest  manner. 
Still  propelled  by  the  impetus  of  his  surroundings,  Mr. 
Bullard  shortly  found  himself  at  the  hotel  office. 

"  Too  late  !  Full !  Try  the  Continental !  Sixty- 
three  ahead  of  you  turned  off !  " 

He  looked  around  in  hopeless  bewilderment. 

"  Hotel  on  Broadway,"  explained  a  kind-hearted 
man,  whose  physical  angles  in  the  press  were,  with 
out  volition  on  his  part,  making  fearful  inroads  on 
the  flesh  of  all  with  whom  unfortunate  circumstance 
brought  him  in  contact.  "  Hurry  up,  or  everything'll 
be  gone ! " 

From  the  entrance  door  Almira  saw,  heard,  acted. 
She  led  the  way,  and  not  an  instant  too  soon.  Our 
party  were  the  last  pitched  into  the  last  coach.  Crack 
went  the  whip ;  gallop  went  the  horses ;  round  went  the 
wheels.  Passengers  were  bumped  and  tumbled  into 
some  position,  in  which  those  who  first  entered  had  no 
advantage,  for  extremities  mingled,  as  in  warfare. 

The  Scripture  promise,  "The  last  shall  be  first,"  was 
fulfilled  in  earthly  circumstance.  Vying  with  the  wind, 
which  was  driving  the  snow  before  it  at  the  rate  of  a 
mile  a  minute,  our  driver  outstripped  his  hurrying  com 
petitors,  and  drew  up  at  the  Continental  entrance  just 
in  season  to  bar  the  spot  from  the  first  coach  arrived 
from  the  Manitoba  road.  Mr.  Bullard  had  awakened. 


THE  BOOM  OF  A  WESTERN  TOWN       2$ 

He  was  only  the  fifteenth  man  at  the  office,  and  suc 
ceeded  in  engaging  one  room,  "  first-class,",  and  a  cot 
for  himself  in  the  public  hall.  While  asking  that  ac 
ceptance  of  these  accommodations  might  wait  upon 
inspection,  the  crowd  of  eager  applicants  had  carried 
him,  unconsciously,  across  the  waiting-room,  and  half 
way  up  the  stairs ;  and  he  woke  to  the  knowledge  that, 
like  a  stump-speaker,  he  was  preferring  his  request  at 
random.  In  the  haven  of  the  parlors  there  was  a  lull, 
at  least  of  service,  though  the  press  of  occupants  gave 
little  opportunity  to  restore  one's  mental  balance  or 
right  one's  dress.  The  porters  were  active,  and  in 
time  our  party's  turn  came.  They  were  ushered  into 
a  room  seven  feet  by  nine  in  dimensions,  without  a 
closet,  without  a  huok,  without  a  nail  even,  from  which 
to  hang  a  garment ;  while  the  bed,  bureau,  washstand, 
and  stove,  all  handsome,  save  the  latter,  and  all  of 
generous  size,  crowded  out  the  possibility  of  any 
chairs  save  one.  The  stove  was  red-hot ;  and  a  pile 
of  pine  slabs,  waiting  induction  within  its  cavern, 
smoked  from  sympathy  or  close  proximity.  Mira  led 
the  way,  and  mounted  the  bed,  in  order  to  make  room 
for  her  parents'  ingress. 

"  Had  calculated  to  put  the  cot  up  here,"  said  Mr. 
Bullard;  "but  guess  I  won't  try  it.'' 

'•'We  shall  have  to  have  our  trunks,"  cried  Mrs. 
Bullard,  glancing  doubtfully  around. 

"  Porter  says  'tis  no  use  to  think  of  it  to-night,"  her 
husband  replied.  "They  can't  be  got  at,  though  I 


26  DISILLUSION 

gave  him  a  quarter.  Hadn't  we  better  go  to  sup 
per?" 

Mr.  Bullard  changed  places  with  his  daughter.  The 
ladies  shook  out  their  draperies  as  best  they  could, 
"  fixed  "  their  crimps,  gave  another  shake  in  the  hall, 
where  there  was  more  space,  for  the  cots  were  as  yet 
stacked  against  the  wall,  and  descended  the  stairs. 
Their  passage  led  through  one  end  of  the  office,  and 
the  throng  there  caused  Mira  to  remark  that  she  was 
glad  they  hadn't  put  off  coming  another  day.  Her 
father  echoed  the  sentiment,  in  his  mind  convinced 
that,  had  they  done  so,  the  city  would  not  have  con 
tained  them. 

The  table  was  bountifully  supplied  with  hot  bis 
cuit,  meats  of  every  variety,  and  canned  fruit  of  every 
description,  wrhile  tall  silver-plated  baskets  held  su 
gared  cake  that  promised  more  than  it  performed. 
But  that  was  slight  disappointment,  for  Dakota  ozone 
required  food  more  fortifying  than  "  sweets." 

Though  mother  and  daughter  took  turns  through 
out  the  night  in  transferring  generous  portions  of  the 
woodpile  to  the  stove,  morning  found  the  water  in 
their  ewer  frozen.  But  Vermont  winters  were  not 
always  balmy ;  and  after  a  few  moments'  coaxing,  the 
stove  again  sent  forth -the  glow  of  meridian. 

When  Mira  threw  up  their  window,  the  sun  shone 
with  dazzling  splendor;  the  air  was  motionless.  "A 
lovely  springlike  day,"  she  cried.  "  Let's  hurry  through 
breakfast,  and  go  out.  Do  have  the  trunks  sent  up 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  2/ 

while  we  are  at  the  table."  This  last  sentence  was 
addressed  to  her  father,  who  waited  in  the  open 
doorway.  "  Oh,  dear !  Where  can  they  go.  We  must 
have  a  larger  room  !  "  she  added. 

The  ladies  passed  to  the  dining-room.  Mr.  Bullard 
stopped  at  the  office.  He  found  the  clerk  affable,  the 
landlord  most  affable.  Would  be  glad  to  accommo 
date  with  enlarged  quarters,  but  utterly  impossible. 
Every  inch  taken.  Why,  those  who  came  in  later 
thankfully  piled  five  into  a  room  less  spacious  than 
his.  Things  not  quite  so  lively  now  as  a  month  ago. 
Winter  setting  in.  Business  depression.  Going  to 
stay  long  ?  Never  let  a  room  to  one  party  for  over  a 
week.  Unfair  to  transients.  Oh,  yes;  trunks  should 
be  sent  up  at  earliest  ability.  Good  deal  of  a  jam 
of  baggage.  If  theirs  should  happen  to  be  at  the 
bottom  of  a  pile,  might  have  to  wait  two  or  three  days. 
But  rest  easy ;  things'll  be  pushed.  "  We  are  not  the 
kind  of  people  that  hang  back.  '  Git  !  '  is  our  motto. 
Rather  different  from  the  East." 

Mr.  Bullard  was  shown  the  accumulation  of  bag 
gage.  It  was  formidable ;  some  of  it  was  in  the  hall, 
much  piled  on  the  sidewalk  beside  the  outer  .door. 
His  own  was  not  visible. 

"  Never  mind ;  it's  safe ! "  assured  the  clerk.  "  Things 
don't  stand  still  long  in  this  country.  They  may 
freeze  down,  but  they  don't  stick !  "  And  he  laughed 
loudly  at  his  own  witticism. 

"Seems    to    have    moderated,"    remarked    Mr.    Bui- 


28  DISILLUSION 

lard,  judging  by  the  brilliant  sunlight  rather  than  by 
his  sense  of  feeling. 

"Won't  thaw  to-day,  though,"  the  clerk  replied, 
laughing  again.  "That's  the  beauty  of  our  climate; 
no  ups  and  downs  to  be  all  the  time  catching  cold  in. 
We  set  in  pretty  snug  nearly  two  months  ago,  and 
'tisn't  likely  to  let  up  before  the  middle  of  April. 
Healthy,  sir?  I  should  think  so!  Lung  trouble  un 
known.  No  catarrh,  no  pneumonia.  Dry  and  clear 
as  a  whistle.  If  there's  a  climate  under  the  sun  that 
can  beat  death  and  the  Devil,  here  you  have  it.  I 
myself  was  bordering  on  consumption  when  I  came 
here,  and  now  I  wouldn't  be  afraid  to  fight  a  prize 
match  with  the  first  pugilist  in  the  country." 

The  ladies  did  not  get  their  trunks  that  day  nor 
the  next,  lively  as  things  moved  in  Fargo.  "But  they 
had  not  grown  to  the  demands  of  the  city,  or  of  so 
ciety,  so  after  breakfast  they  started  for  a  walk  in 
their  travelling-dresses.  Their  cloaks  were  of  heavy 
wool  material,  Mrs.  Bullard's  bordered  with  fur,  with 
a  generous  fur  collar.  Her  bonnet  was  velvet,  mod 
ern  and  diminutive.  Mira  wore  a  felt  hat,  stylish  and 
unprotective.  They  sallied  down  Broadway.  The 
street  was  not  pretentious  by  daylight.  The  best 
shops  plainly  showed  that  half  their  frontage  was 
false ;  that  is,  it  was  as  a  very  high  board  fence 
towering  above  the  single  practical  story.  But  often 
the  top  of  this  ornamentation  (?)  was  rounded  or 
pointed  into  Grecian  or  Gothic  style,  truly  effective 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  2Q 

in  a  certain  direction.  Time  Block  was  of  brick ; 
but  the  clock's  fair  face,  from  which  the  building 
derived  its  name,  was  only  a  face.  To  our  party, 
uninitiated  in  the  demands  of  the  city,  saloons  seemed 
unnecessarily  numerous.  Frequently  the  angle  of  a 
sidewalk  contained  a  shanty  of  the  size  and  con 
struction  of  a  "  switch-house/'  whose  door  advertised 
"  Peanuts  &  Candy.*' 

They  afterwards  learned  that  the  city  encouraged 
"  trade  "  by  granting  this  use  of  corners  free  of  cost 
to  any  enterprising  applicant.  These  buildings  did 
not  tend  to  enhance  the  beauty  of  the  city ;  but  it  is 
praiseworthy  to  foster  commerce,  and  convenient  for 
pedestrians  desiring  that  kind  of  merchandise.  Five 
times  during  their  walk  did  the  proprietors  of  thus 
many  different  shops  rush  out  upon  our  party  with 
invitations  to  purchase. 

Before  they  had  traversed  the  length  of  Broadway, 
south  from  their  hotel,  Mr.  Billiard  said  he  believed 
'twas  growing  cold,  and  turned  up  his  coat-collar. 
Shortly  Mrs.  Bullard  remarked  that  she  was  afraid 
they  had  been  cheated  in  the  quality  of  the  cloth 
from  which  their  cloaks  were  made,  for  the  cold 
seemed  to  penetrate  hers  as  though  it  were  cheese 
cloth. 

"  Aren't  you  cold,  Mira  ?  "  she  asked. 

"Oh,  I'm  as  warm  as  toast!"  that  young  lady  re 
plied;  "though  the  weather  isn't  quite  so  mild  and 
springlike  as  I  had  expected."  Her  cheeks  glowed 


3O  DISILLUSION 

with  enthusiasm,  and  her  eyes  sparkled ;  but  the  end 
of  her  nose  and  the  tips  of  her  ears  were  opaque 
white. 

"  Je-r^-salem  !  "  cried  Mr.  Bullard.  "  Your  ears 
and  nose  are  froze,  I  do  believe !  I  don't  know  what 
to  do  !  " 

They  all  paused. 

"Oh,  dear!"  gasped  Mrs.  Bullard.  Mira  looked 
a  good  deal  frightened,  but  she  only  said,  — 

"I  don't  feel  sick!" 

"  No  cause  for  alarm,  Miss,"  interrupted  a  gentle 
man,  one  of  the  throng  passing  in  the  street.  "  It 
is  no  unusual  thing  in  this  climate.  I  see  you  are 
'  tenderfeet,'  "  he  continued,  smiling.  "Allow  me!" 
and  he  took  up  snow,  and  vigorously  rubbed  the  caked 
extremities.  "  You  had  better  step  into  the  hotel," 
he  concluded,  indicating  by  a  gesture  the  Headquar 
ters,  near  which  they  were  standing,  "  and  wrap  up. 
Parts  always  more  tender  after  freezing." 

With  expressions  of  gratitude  our  party  turned  to 
follow  his  advice.  The  kindly  stranger  detained  Mrs. 
Bullard. 

"  Madam,  I  see  you  are  unaware  that  your  nose 
and  cheeks  are  in  the  same  condition.  Fortunately 
your  fur  and  bonnet  ties  have  saved  your  ears.  How 
ever,  nothing  serious  will  result  from  a  few  frostbites," 
he  added  in  an  assuring  tone,  as  he  proceeded  to  thaw 
the  affected  portions  by  a  process  similar  to  that  be 
stowed  upon  the  daughter. 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  3 1 

He  accompanied  them  into  the  hotel,  and  during 
the  next  half-hour  learned  much  of  the  Bullard  his 
tory  and  imparted  much  of  his  own.  He  held  legal 
right  to  the  title  "  Esq.,"  but  dealt  largely  in  real 
estate,  both  in  the  city  and  country.  He  made  him 
self  so  very  agreeable  that  after  his  departure  Mira 
said  she  considered  their  frostbites  just  the  luckiest 
thing  in  the  world,  for  now  father  would  know  who 
to  advise  with  in  making  investments. 

The  ladies  made  other  pleasant  acquaintances  among 
the  people  assembled  in  the  hotel  parlors  while  Mr. 
Bullard,  with  down-turned  ear-laps  and  up-turned  coat 
collar,  went  back  to- the  Continental  and  got  all  their 
extra  wraps,  —  veils,  neckerchiefs,  and  shawls.  By  the 
time  he  returned,  the  frostbitten  parts  had  become 
very  red  and  swollen,  and  were  not  a  little  painful ; 
so  they  decided  not  to  continue  their  walk.  But  they 
did  not  pass  a  lonely  afternoon.  Those  who  had 
been  in  the  hotel  twenty-four  hours  longer  than  them 
selves,  by  virtue  of  "  old  residence "  politely  called ; 
and  the  clergymen  of  the  city  made  it  a  point  to  go 
the  rounds  of  the  hotels  every  day,  and  gather  into 
their  folds  sheep  of  their  own  denomination  or  fold- 
less  sheep. 

"We  shouldn't  have  seen  so  much  company  home  in 
a  year,"  said  Mira,  as  they  wearily  prepared  for  bed. 
"  What  a  shame  that  we  can't  get  at  our  clothes  !  and 
the  accident  of  the  morning  has  made  us  perfect 
frights  !  " 


32  DISILLUSION 

"  But  almost  everybody  else  is  in  the  same  con 
dition."  Mrs.  Bullard  remarked  this  for  her  own 
consolation,  as  much  as  for  Mira's. 

Under  the  influence  of  a  plentiful  supply  of  Pond's 
Extract,  in  another  twenty-four  hours  the  inflamma 
tion  caused  by  the  frost  had  subsided,  and  their  trunks 
had  been  unearthed.  Both  events  happened  just  at 
the  right  moment,  Mira  said ;  for  Mr.  Smith,  the  gen 
tleman  who  had  relieved  their  emergency  on  the  morn 
ing  of  their  first  walk,  had  asked  her  to  accompany 
him  to  the  theatre  that  evening.  "  Opening  night ! 
Immense!  Straight  from  Germany!  Equal  never 
heard  in  the  Great  Northwest !  much  less  in  Boston 
or  New  York!" 

Mr.  Bullard  hinted  to  his  wife  that  Mira  was  taking 
up  a  new  acquaintance  rather  suddenly.  But  he  got 
no  sympathy,  so  went  to  the  office,  and,  by  cautious 
and  circumlocutional  questions,  obtained  the  informa 
tion  that  Mr.  Smith  stood  high  in  the  estimation  of 
the  community,  —  "A  pushing  young  man  !  Worth  a 
hundred  thousand  to-day,  if  a  cent !  Bound  to  be  a 
millionaire  in  less  than  a  year ! " 

The  prudent  father  was  satisfied,  and  Mira  fulfilled 
her  engagement.  If  the  operatic  company  fell  short  of 
its  advertised  merits,  our  young  lady  was  no  critic,  and 
pronounced  it  most  attractive  ;  while  opera-glasses, 
often  directed  to  her  face,  proved  that  others  besides 
her  escort  thought  Miss  Bullard  a  surpassing  attrac 
tion.  She  was  already  "known"  to  Fargo  society; 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  33 

and  several  young  men  who  had  previously  fed  on  her 
charms  at  a  distance,  managed  before  the  evening  was 
over  to  obtain  an  introduction. 

The  blond  of  Mira's  complexion  was  vivified  by 
the  fire  of  the  brunette.  Her  hair  and  eyes  were 
dark,  but  not  opaque  ;  they  sparkled.  Her  tempera 
ment  was  a  happy  combination  of  the  mild  and  lym 
phatic,  whose  result  is  magnetic.  Society  would  have 
appreciated  her  at  the  East  quite  as  much  as  West. 
All  their  little  circle  in  Blankridge  did,  as  well  as 
Alonzo  Peters. 

Before  the  expiration  of  the  week  that  permitted 
them  their  room  at  the  hotel,  Mira  pronounced  their 
accommodations  intolerable,  and  Mrs.  Bullard  de 
clared  herself  "  all  worn  out."  Two  trunks  apiece 
had  been  appropriated  to  the  wardrobe  of  the  family ; 
but,  in  packing,  Mrs.  Bullard  had  wisely  separated  the 
necessities  of  winter  from  spring  or  summer  demands : 
so  only  four  of  these  trunks  needed  to  be  conveyed  to 
such  spot  as  would  render  their  contents  available. 
They  had  been  placed  in  the  hall,  on  each  side  of 
their  door,  in  tiers  of  two.  Discreetly  as  their  con 
tents  were  arranged,  the  article  wanted  was  always 
sure  to  be  at  the  bottom  of  the  bottom  trunk.  The 
place  was  rather  public  for  the  sorting  of  garments : 
but  the  fact  that  nearly  every  door  on  their  floor  was 
guarded  in  a  similar  manner,  and  that  its  proprietor 
labored  under  similar  disadvantages,  helped  the  situa 
tion  ;  for  custom  makes  fashion,  and  fashion  rules 
modesty. 


34  DISILLUSION 

Mrs.  Bullard  thought  they  had  better  continue  tak 
ing  their  meals  at  the  hotel,  it  was  such  a  social  help ; 
so  Mr.  Bullard  undertook  the  task  of  finding  lodging- 
rooms  at  a  convenient  distance. 

"  I  ought  to  have  been  about  it  earlier,"  he  said, 
when  Smith  informed  him  that  he  had  no  apartments 
on  hand.  His  friend  laughed. 

"  Before  night  you'll  have  a  choice  of  twenty  rooms, 
at  least.  But  they  won't  stand  empty;  that  isn't  the 
way  with  our  people,  — yes  or  no,  up  and  off." 

This  statement  proved  true.  Before  noon  he  had 
had  the  refusal  of  fifteen  rooms ;  but  his  decision 
required  such  promptitude  that  no  time  for  inspection, 
even,  was  allowed.  The  ground  floor  of  Time  Block 
was  used  for  stores,  the  second  for  lodgings.  He 
engaged  two  in  this  building  at  a  venture.  It  was 
near  his  hotel.  He  was  to  pay  ten  dollars  per  week 
for  each.  He  was  now  paying  four  and  a  half  dol 
lars  a  day,  individually,  at  their  hotel ;  but  for  meals 
only,  the  price  would  be  fifteen  dollars  a  week  for 
each.  Accustomed  to  the  practice  of  economy  usual 
among  the  New  England  laboring-class,  and  particu 
larly  among  farmers,  whose  profits  are  small,  this  ex 
pense  was  appalling  to  Mrs.  Bullard. 

"  We  must  save  J00z<?where,"  she  hopelessly  asserted. 

After  seeing  the  size  of  the  rooms  engaged,  Mira 
suggested  that  they  get  along  with  one. 

"  I  want  some  of  the  experience  of  pioneer  life,"  she 
declared.  "  So  far,  it  has  been  nothing  but  luxury  — 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  35 

modified,"  she  added,  remembering  the  inconvenience 
of  living  in  trunks. 

"'Save  at  the  tap,"  quoted  Mr.  Bullard.  All  his 
former  experience  had  served  to  implant  a  distaste 
for  cramped  quarters.  But  this  method  of  economy 
was  prevalent  in  Fargo,  and  Mrs.  Bullard  had  grown 
into  the  spirit  of  the  times.  So  the  ladies  prevailed, 
and,  in  accordance  with  their  mental  progress,  com 
menced  spending  for  dress  thrice  the  amount  saved 
in  rent. 

If  the  furnishing  of  this  room  was  commeasurable 
with  its  cost,  they  continued  to  live  in  luxury.  For  a 
bed,  washstand,  lounge,  a  few  chairs,  and  the  drapery 
necessary  to  divide  the  room  into  compartments,  they 
paid  almost  as  much  as  had  been  received  for  the 
whole  handsome,  old-fashioned  furniture  of  their  home 
in  Blankridge. 

By  the  advice  of  Mr.  Smith,  who  now  pronounced 
himself  an  old  friend  of  the  family,  and  with  his  assist 
ance,  Mr.  Bullard  had  already  made  several  invest 
ments  which  this  friend  pronounced  '''capital."  He 
had  purchased  a  large  lot  on  Pacific  Avenue  ;  he  had 
bought  shares  to  the  amount  of  one  thousand  dollars 
in  a  company  formed  since  his  arrival  for  establishing 
iron- works  on  the  northwest  side  of  the  city,  and  had 
purchased  two  house-lots  in  that  vicinity ;  he  had 
also  purchased  a  lot  on  Eighth  Street,  and  another 
on  Ninth. 

A  few  hours  after  he  paid  for  his  furniture,  he  sold 


36  DISILLUSION 

the  lot  on  Eighth  Street  at  an  advance  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars,  and  one  of  those  near  the  prospective 
iron  foundry  for  fifty  more  than  he  gave  for  it.  Mrs. 
Bullard's  peace  of  mind  was  restored.  If  the  cost  of 
one  week  in  Fargo  was  equal  to  the  expense  of  six 
months'  living  in  Blankridge,  a  year's  profits  from  the 
farm  in  Blankridge  would  have  hardly  equalled  the 
profits  of  these  sales ;  and  the  city  abounded  in  such 
opportunities.  Mr.  Bullard  delayed  not  an  hour  to 
rent  an  office  on  Front  Street,  and  put  out  his  sign  :  — 

JONATHAN  BULLARD, 
REAL  ESTATE  AGENT. 

DEALER   IN 

CITY  PROPERTY,   LOTS  AND   HOUSES. 

ALSO 

IN  FARM  LANDS. 

Mira  felt  unbounded  pride  in  this  gilded  board ; 
for  the  painter  had  consulted  his  own  taste  in  its  size 
and  decoration,  and  it  shone  as  conspicuously  as  does 
the  dome  of  the  State  House  in  Boston. 

"That's  the  way  to  catch  'em,"  declared  the  artist. 
"  Our  people  like  noble  views.  Our  prairies  set  the 
example." 

By  the  contracted  pronoun  "  'em,"  he  signified  trade. 
Thanks  to  his  genius,  or  the  demands  of  the  country, 
or  the  ability  of  the  new  agent,  or  to  a  combination  of 
these  superlative  qualities,  business  proved  "  rushing." 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  3/ 

It  allowed  Mr.  Bullard  hardly  time  to  eat  or  sleep. 
His  family  might  well  have  complained  of  neglect, 
only  they  were  too  busy  to  remember  whether  they 
encountered  husband  and  father  once  a  day  or  once 
a  week.  Their  mornings  in  the  hotel  parlors  afforded 
entertainment  as  varied  and  charming  as  society  is 
capable  of  introducing.  Sometimes  a  card-party,  some 
times  music  ;  again  a  reception,  formal  or  informal ; 
and  the  varieties  of  fancy-work  there  in  progress  were 
legion.  Each  lady  seemed  to  know  a  new  stitch  or 
style  ;  and  every  other  lady  was  "  crazy  "  to  learn  it, 
—  Mira  in  a  modified  degree,  but  Mrs.  Bullard  was 
rabid.  During  the  afternoon  and  evening  they  "re 
ceived  '"'  in  their  room  in  Time  Block. 

Twelve  o'clock  midnight.  A  voice  from  the  space 
behind  the  curtain,  politely  denominated  Mrs.  Bui- 
lard's  chamber,  — 

"  I  am  all  worn  out !  " 

Responsive  voice  from  the  parlor,  — 

"This  is  intolerable.'' 

Mr.  Bullard  enters  from  the  common  hall. 

"  Gone,  eh,  Mira  ?  "  referring  to  guests. 

"  O  father,  close  the  door,  please,  quick  !  What  an 
odor  of  onions  !  *' 

"  Our  neighbors  do  seem  uncommonly  fond  of 
them." 

';  I  am  sure  they  fry  them  for  breakfast,  boil  them 
for  dinner,  and  roast  them  for  supper,  and  keep  cab 
bage  stewing  in  a  kettle  all  the  time.'7 


38  DISILLUSION 

Many  of  the  twelve  families  in  Time  Block  "  kept 
house  "  in  their  one  room,  and  their  evident  partiality 
for  certain  vegetables  was  an  annoyance  to  olfactories 
nice. 

"  It  isn't  the  smells  that  are  wearing  me  out,"  called 
Mrs.  Bullard  from  her  couch  ;  "  it's  the  situation.  Of 
course  Mira  must  have  callers.  I  want  her  to  see 
people  and  young  folks  ;  but  I  must  have  a  bedroom. 
I  am  growing  old  —  fast,  and  I  miss  my  sleep.  And, 
pa,  I  am  afraid  you'll  get  into  bad  habits,  being  out  so 
late  nights." 

"  Business  keeps  me  out  pretty  often ;  but  when  I 
can  get  off,  I  confess  it  is  trying  to  find  the  room  full 
of  company  at  eleven  and  twelve  o'clock,  or  one  in 
the  morning.  I  hate  to  disturb  them,  so  I  hang  round 
in  the  dark  of  the  entry,  or  go  back  to  the  hotel,  and 
perhaps  get  pinned  there  by  a  customer ;  so  finally  I 
don't  get  to  bed  until  near  morning.  Yes,  I  guess 
we'd  better  make  a  move." 

"Strange  we  hadn't  thought  of  it  before!"  cried 
Mira.  "  I  have  regretted  the  inconvenience  of  cir 
cumstances  as  much  as  any  one,  I  am  sure.  But  we 
grow  into  knowledge  so  slowly." 

As  a  voice  from  the  shades,  again  came  a  voice 
from  beyond  the  curtain, — 

"  Moving  will  be  expensive  ;  but  we  shall  save  it 
in  clothes,  if  we  keep  house." 

To  the  uninitiated,  this  speech  would  have  been 
ambiguous.  Mrs.  Bullard  referred  to  that  portion  of 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  39 

their  clothing  which  had  to  be  laundered.  Not  to 
the  washing,  exorbitant  as  were  those  prices,  but  to 
the  loss  attendant  upon  the  drying  thereof.  It  took 
from  four  to  six  days  for  clothing  to  freeze  dry  in  the 
open  air.  A  blow,  if  not  a  blizzard,  was  sure  to  come 
up  during  the  time,  and  the  suspended  garments,  stiff 
as  glazed  paper,  would  crack  and  part  as  though  com 
posed  of  material  as  frail.  Mira  did  not  exaggerate 
when  she  pronounced  the  condition  in  which  their 
clothing  was  returned,  "perfectly  frightful."  Shirts 
minus  sleeves,  body  and  skirts  separated,  drawers 
dismembered,  nightdresses  sundered.  Sometimes  the 
lost  parts  escaped  to  the  open  prairie,  sometimes 
angles  of  fences  or  buildings  caught  and  harbored 
them.  If  rescued,  they  were  impartially  divided 
among  patrons,  regardless  of  their  legitimate  belong 
ings.  Mrs.  Bullard  expostulated. 

"  Can  just  as  well  dry  them  inside,  ma'am,"  was 
the  polite  rejoinder,  "  and  in  one-tenth  of  the  time. 
Suit  us  better ;  and  if  there  is  a  firm  under  the  great 
national  flag  that  is  bound  to  suit  its  customers,  ours 
is  the  one/' 

The  following  week  the  clothes  came  home  whole, 
saffron-colored,  and  odorous  as  though  steeped  in  a 
decoction  of  garlic  and  tobacco.  Language  was  in 
competent  to  express  Mira's  disgust.  They  changed 
for  a  laundry  less  liberal  of  promises.  The  firm 
failed  the  same  clay ;  and  the  following,  a  homogene 
ous  mass  of  soiled  linen  was  returned,  of  sizes  and 


4O  DISILLUSION 

shapes  most  alien  to  the  human  form.  They  changed 
again,  and  the  results  were  parallel  with  their  first 
experience.  The  next  change  never  returned  their 
"wash."  "Skipped,"  Mr.  Bullard  learned  in  re 
sponse  to  his  inquiries.  After  again  trying  steam- 
drying,  Mrs.  Bullard  directed  open-air  exposure  as 
more  hygienic,  if  inore  troublesome.  Not  that  much 
time  was  spent  in  mending.  "  New  times  demand 
new  measures,"  Mira  quoted,  and  basted  together 
such  parts  as  came  to  hand  with  a  dexterity  that 
the  legerdemain  profession  might  envy. 

Mrs.  Bullard  mentioned  at  the  breakfast-table  that 
they  desired  to  rent  a  cottage  and  keep  house.  With 
in  an  hour  she  received  a  call  from  Mrs.  Black.  They 
had  often  met  in  society,  but  never  exchanged  visits. 

"  My  dear  Mrs.  Bullard,  I  hear  you  are  looking 
for  a  house.  We  are  going  to  vacate  ours  in  a  few 
days.  It  is  so  cosey  and  pleasant.  A  grocer  has 
the  first  floor,  with  the  exception  of  my  husband's 
office.  So  convenient,  you  know,  to  have  the  neces 
saries  of  life  all  under  one's  roof.  It  is  in  the 
wood-yard,  and  the  odor  of  the  fresh  lumber  is  so 
sweet  and  so  healthy.  Do  come  and  see  it.  All  the 
surroundings  are  quite  select." 

The  wood-yard  was  close  to  the  railroad  yard;  but 
twistings,  turnings,  and  windings,  brought  our  friends 
to  the  spot.  The  grocery  was  patent  from  its  outer 
accumulation  of  barrels,  boxes,  and  packing-cases, 
while  dogs  and  loungers  as  plainly  marked  the  office. 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  4! 

Lace  draperies  at  the  upper  windows  revealed  the 
pleasant  home  above  ;  but  the  stairway  to  this  aerial 
Arcadia  was  not  so  evident.  The  only  visible  doors 
led,  unmistakably,  one  into  the  grocery,  the  other  into 
the  office.  They  sought  direction  from  the  proprietor 
of  the  former. 

"  Oh,  handy  enough  !  Trust  our  folks  for  that. 
This  way ! " 

Between  the  piled  rubbish  and  the  sides  of  the 
building  was  a  path  with  one  of  the  requisites  of 
that  which  leads  to  life  eternal,  —  it  was  narrow  in 
the  superlative  degree.  At  the  extreme  rear  was  a 
door,  not  fashioned  after  that  of  panelled  style,  but 
it  effectually  closed  an  aperture  designed  for  entrance, 
for  it  stuck  very  tight.  Pails,  tubs,  jars,  kettles, 
brooms,  pans,  jugs,  mops,  in  short,  all  the  parapher 
nalia  of  kitchen  use  contended  the  right  of  way  up 
the  steep  and  narrow  stairs.  At  the  top  the  little 
landing  showed  complications  still  more  curious  ;  but 
it  led  direct  into  —  a  room  whose  luxurious  furnish 
ing  suggested  the  comfort  of  Abraham's  bosom. 

"  So  near,  and  yet  so  far,"  sighed  Mira,  the  door 
representing  to  her  mind  a  gulf  as  far-separating  as 
was  that  between  Lazarus'  refuge  and  the  rich  man's 
place  of  torment. 

Though  knowing  the  mode  of  entrance  was  not 
unusual,  our  friends  thought  it  impracticable,  and 
decided  to  look  farther.  Several  cottages  that  were 
shortly  to  be  vacated  had  been  recommended,  and 


42  DISILLUSION 

they  spent  the  remainder  of  the  afternoon  in  visiting 
them.  "Cosey,  cunning,  and  cluttered,"  was  Mira's 
comment.  Much  white  lace  drapery,  and  the  heaviest 
of  the  largest  sized  plush  upholstered  goods,  com 
posed  the  furnishing,  without  regard  to  the  space 
afforded.  Such  was  the  supply  of  Fargo  markets  ; 
and  the  old  adage,  "  One  might  as  well  be  out  of 
the  world  as  out  of  fashion,"  had  firm  foothold  in 
this  city. 

At  the  supper-table  Mr.  Bullard  was  informed  of 
their  movements. 

"No  harm  done,"  he  replied;  "but  I  bought  a  lot 
on  Twelfth  Street  to-day,  and  have  contracted  with 
a  builder  to  have  a  cottage  all  ready  for  occupancy 
in  five  days.  Two  loads  of  lumber  were  landed  on 
the  ground  within  twenty  minutes  after  the  writings 
were  signed." 

"Won't  there  be  danger  of  dampness?"  suggested 
Mrs.  Bullard. 

"I  spoke  of  that;  but  the  contractor  said  Dakota 
atmosphere  precluded  the  possibility.  He  is  a  Western 
man,  and  well  posted.  I  guess  we're  all  right.  The 
frame  will  be  completed  by  to-morrow  night ;  and  I 
shall  see  that  good  fires  are  kept  up,  though  he  de 
clared  them  unnecessary." 

Mrs.  Bullard  sighed  for  a  seal-skin  sack.  Apart 
from  the  demands  of  the  climate,  their  position  in  so 
ciety  demanded  it.  Mr.  Bullard  would  have  willingly 
obliged  his  wife,  and  several  times  the  necessary  sum 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  43 

for  the  purchase  was  laid  aside ;  but  within  an  hour 
after,  some  "  bargain  "  would  offer  that  promised  great 
profits,  and  the  appropriation  would  be  otherwise  in 
vested.  During  his  hurried  meals,  or  when  he  came  in 
at  night  before  she  was  asleep,  Mrs.  Bullard  would 
gain  information  of  his  movements,  as  follows  :  — • 

"Have  just  traded  off  Lot  No.  16,  south,  at  an  ad 
vance  of  $75.  Cass  has  taken  Lot  No.  8,  west,  off 
my  hands,  by  which  I  cleared  just  $136.  Streeter  has 
borrowed  $1,000  of  me  at  30  per  cent.  I've  taken  a 
mortgage  on  Johnson's  cow  at  42  per  cent.  I  hold  a 
mortgage  on  the  best  team  in  the  city  at  31  per  cent. 
National  Bank  is  paying  me  15  per  cent.  The  tax 
certificates  that  I  hold  are  bound  to  pay  from  20  to  40 
per  cent." 

She  knew  he  held  mortgages  on  farms,  on  houses 
in  the  city,  on  several  sets  of  household  furniture,  on 
five  elegant  seal  sacks,  which  she  saw  every  day  on 
the  street  in  company  with  ladies  who  were  important 
factors  in  "best  society."  Both  she  and  Mira  felt  all 
the  pride  of  proprietorship  in  these  latter,  and  were 
willing  to  wait  the  tide  of  events.  The  whole  family 
felt  they  were  fast  becoming  millionaires.  To  be 
sure,  some  losses  occurred.  A  bank  failed,  where  Mr. 
Bullard  had  $5,000  deposited.  It  was  a  complete 
wreck.  The  driver  of  ''the  best  team  in  the  city"  left 
his  horses  in  front  of  a  saloon  one  evening,  while  he 
went  in  to  get  "'something  warm.''  The  thermometer 
stood  at  forty-three  degrees  below  zero.  He  stayed  so 


44  DISILLUSION 

long  that  the  horses  broke  their  fastenings,  demolished 
the  hack,  and  were  found  in  the  morning  "stark  as 
marble,"  headed  against  the  railroad  bank,  high  up  on 
Front  Street.  When  the  cow  was  finally  attached  and 
sold,  Mr.  Bullard  found  there  were  two  mortgages 
before  his ;  and  the  furniture  he  had  depended  upon 
to  furnish  the  new  cottage  was  spirited  away  in  the 
night.  A  financial  loss  is  of  course  depressing ;  but 
when  the  next  turn  of  fortune's  wheel  brings  a  prize, 
blanks  are  forgotten. 

Fargo  ladies  often  gave  private  parties,  though  the 
size  of  the  houses  necessarily  marked  the  character  of 
the  entertainment,  or  limited  the  number  of  guests. 
"Kettledrums"  were  popular,  for  the  visitors  came 
and  departed  in  succession.  Receptions  were  popular, 
for  these  demanded  the  same  routine.  Select  teas 
were  very  popular  among  the  select  few.  Neverthe 
less,  were  large  parties,  balls,  "full-dress  assemblies," 
many  in  kind  and  number.  For  such  purpose  the 
opera-house  was  rented,  or  a  new  building  before  its 
occupancy.  When  a  store  changed  hands,  some  one 
philanthropically  inclined,  managed  to  save  an  inter 
vening  night  for  a  dance.  The  different  church  socie 
ties  held  fairs  and  festivals,  gave  dinners  and  suppers, 
musicales  and  card-parties ;  and  every  description  of 
entertainment  closed  with  a  dance.  The  Sunday  ser 
vices  and  funerals  did  not  come  precisely  under  this 
head,  only  so  far  as  the  costumes  of  the  ladies  made 
them  festive;  for,  verily,  but  for  their  surroundings, 


THE    DOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  45 

one  could  not  tell  whether  they  were  dressed  for 
church  or  opera.  Then  there  were  charitable  socie 
ties  ad  infinitum,  whose  chief  office  seemed  to  be  to 
hold  meetings  ;  and  societies  named  after  every  State 
in  the  Union,  and  every  real  or  conceivable  state  of 
existence.  Our  friends  decided  not  to  patronize  these 
latter  largely,  for  each  involved  great  expense.  But, 
in  a  few  weeks,  Mira's  fingers  and  thumbs  were  insuffi 
cient  to  count  the  number  of  which  she  was  a  mem 
ber  ;  and  her  father  and  mother  were  equally  involved. 
Not  that  Mr.  Bullard  went  much  into  society,  —  he  was 
too  busy  buying  and  selling,  —  but  he  promptly  paid 
his  dues,  all  the  same. 

Since  Mrs.  Bullard's  residence  in  Fargo,  she  had 
not  been  so  situated  that  she  could  entertain.  When 
they  took  possession  of  the  new  cottage,  she  felt  that 
every  law  of  etiquette  and  hospitality  demanded  that 
they  should  give  a  reception.  For  such  an  entertain 
ment  at  their  old  home,  she  and  Mira  would  have  pre 
pared  the  food,  and  some  of  Mira's  intimate  friends  have 
been  invited  to  assist  in  waiting  upon  the  table.  Such 
a  thing  as  hired  service  would  have  been  considered 
unpardonable  extravagance  and  ludicrous  ostentation. 
Blankridge  was  ridiculously  old-fashioned ;  and  our 
friends  were  not  only  acclimated  to  Fargo  styles,  but 
naturalized.  The  services  of  a  caterer,  recently  ar 
rived  from  Chicago,  were  secured;  and  at  enormous 
expense,  —  to  Mr.  Bullard,  —  the  caterer  imported  col 
ored  waiters  from  Minneapolis.  Mira  declared  she 


46  DISILLUSION 

felt  herself  an  insignificant  guest  in  the  light  of  their 
elegance. 

The  encomiums  bestowed  upon  this  entertainment 
compensated  for  its  cost.  "  Incomparably  select,"  was 
the  tamest  term  used.  And  so  well  did  the  door 
keeper  perform  his  part,  that  only  two  people  were  ad 
mitted  without  reception  cards,  —  one  a  widow,  whose 
brazen  tongue  and  black  heart  would  have  known 
no  hesitancy  in  applying  at  the  gates  of  paradise; 
and  the  other  a  reporter  for  a  paper  whose  politics 
Mr.  Bullard  did  not  indorse. 

Fargo  servants  were  chiefly  of  the  Scandinavian 
race,  and  as  new  in  the  country  as  was  the  city  of 
their  adoption.  Consequently,  English  was  an  un 
known  tongue  to  them.  Mira  declared  that  a  girl 
deaf,  dumb,  and  blind  would  be  as  efficient  as  was 
their  Norwegian  "  help."  The  phlegm  of  northern  lat 
itudes  pervaded  their  temperaments.  Once,  twice, 
five  times  in  three  days  did  Mrs.  Bullard  change,  and 
each  girl  proved  more  stupid  than  the  former.  In 
valuable  time  was  consumed  in  efforts  to  teach  them. 
It  interfered  with  social  duties,  with  church  obliga 
tions,  with  aesthetic  privileges. 

"  This  state  of  things  is  intolerable  !  "  cried  Mira, 
after  a  few  weeks'  experience. 

"  I  am  all  worn  out,"  sighed  Mrs.  Bullard. 

"  What's  to  hinder  a  change,  then  ? "  suggested  Mr. 
Bullard.  "  The  Headquarters's  partnership  dissolved 
early  this  morning.  You  know  Piper,  the  junior  mem- 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  47 

ber,  was  going  to  be  married  in  a  few  days.  He  had 
his  rooms  all  ready,  three  of  them.  Well,  the  story 
goes,  some  business  made  it  impossible  for  him  to  at 
tend  the  opera  last  night,  so  he  sent  a  note  of  regrets 
to  the  lady.  She  was  very  indignant,  and  said  if  he 
was  going  to  begin  thus  early  to  exercise  a  husband's 
tyranny,  she  would  teach  him  what  would  be  her 
course.  So  she  accepted  an  invitation  to  go  with 
Jones,  and  flirted  desperately  with  him  during  the 
whole  performance.  Of  course  Piper  heard  of  it  be 
fore  the  evening  was  half  over,  threw  up  everything, 
settled  with  his  partner,  and  took  the  eleven  o'clock 
train  this  morning  for  Washington  Territory.  But 
lively  as  were  his  movements,  Jones  got  ahead  of  him. 
He  did  not  want  to  marry  the  girl,  but  of  course  he'd 
have  to ;  at  least,  he  thought  there  was  a  chance  for 
a  suit  for  "  breach  of  promise  "  if  he  stayed  behind : 
so  he  quietly  settled  up  his  affairs,  —  I  bought  five 
lots  of  him  before  breakfast,  —  and  he  started  East  an 
hour  earlier  than  the  train  that  took  Piper  West.  But 
the  joke  is,  Miss  Marsden  beat  'em  both.  She  some 
how  got  wind  of  how  things  were  working,  and  at  nine 
o'clock  walked  into  DeLucie's  dry  goods  store,  dressed 
in  all  her  best  clothes,  and,  w^hile  pretending  to  trade, 
made  herself  so  agreeable  to  the  clerk,  who  had  known 
her  for  more  than  a  week,  and  made  no  secret  of  his 
admiration,  that  he  popped  the  question  then  and 
there,  and  they  went  straight  up  to  the  Methodist 
minister's,  and  were  married  on  the  spot. 


48  DISILLUSION 

Before  night  our  friends  were  established  at  the 
Headquarters,  in  the  rooms  fitted  for  a  bride.  If  the 
change  brought  less  care  in  one  direction,  it  accumu 
lated  responsibilities  in  another.  The  company  at  the 
Sherman  House  was  respectable ;  at  the  Continental, 
select ;  at  the  Headquarters,  choice.  No  negligee  cos 
tumes  permitted  there,  no  time  for  lounging.  Every 
hour,  every  minute,  was  occupied.  If  Mrs.  Bullard  had 
previously  counted  her  social  triumphs  great,  she  knew 
them  now  of  little  worth.  The  past  paled  like  Venus 
before  the  light  of  the  risen  sun. 

"  What  are  your  engagements  for  this  morning, 
Mira  ? "  Mrs.  Bullard  asked  her  daughter,  a  few  weeks 
after  they  were  located.  "  Mrs.  Upton  says  DeLucie 
has  an  entirely  new  line  of  dress  goods  in,  and  we 
are  going  to  inspect  them.  I  think  you  had  better  ac 
company  us.  We  must  have  something  ;  for,  with  the 
utmost  ingenuity  or  skill,  I  don't  believe  Oscar  Wilde 
himself  could  make  any  more  varieties  or  combinations 
out  of  our  dresses." 

"  Yes,  I  know  we  are  fearfully  old-style  and  shabby," 
replied  Mira.  "  Perhaps  to-morrow  I  can  spare  a  half- 
hour,  but  every  moment  of  to-day  is  taken.  My  lesson 
in  ribbon  embroidery  commences  at  nine-thirty  ;  at 
ten-thirty  I  have  engaged  to  go  with  Mrs.  Yerkes  to 
secure  the  opera-house  for  the  bazaar,  and  engage  the 
music,  and  see  Morgan  about  loaning  us  decorations, 
and  engage  crockery;  and  then  I've  got  to  see  the 
lady  that  promised  to  personate  a  gypsy,  and  hold  her 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  49 

to  it,  for  she's  as  slippery  as  an  eel,  and  the  character 
has  been  advertised,  so  we  must  not  fail.  And  I  must 
see  a  half-dozen  others  who  have  promised  to  fill  re 
sponsible  positions,  but  will  surely  disappoint  us  if  we 
do  not  refresh  their  memories  every  half-hour  from 
now  up  to  the  appointed  evening." 

"Yes,  it  is  a  trying  feature  of  Fargo  society  that 
people  are  so,  we  won't  say  unreliable,  but  forgetful. 
Yesterday  afternoon  Mrs.  Goodman  had  quite  a  num 
ber  of  ladies  invited  to  tea.  At  noon  some  one  sent 
her  a  ticket  to  the  matinfc,  so  off  she  went ;  and  they 
came  and — went.  She  pretends  she  had  invited  them 
for  to-day,  and  is  so  sorry  for  their  mistake.  It  made 
quite  a  little  talk  for  an  hour  last  evening ;  but,  dear 
me  !  everybody  has  forgotten  it  before  now,  the  parties 
slighted  as  well.  Let  me  see  !  I  have  three  tea-drink- 
ings  engaged  for  this  evening ;  one  at  four,  one  at  six, 
and  one  at  eight.  And  as  I  shall  meet  many  of  the 
same  ladies  at  each,  my  dress  must  be  changed  be 
tween.  Can't  you  help  me  ?  For  the  time  will  be 
short." 

"  I  wish  I  could  ;  I  am  very  sorry.  But,  as  I  was 
saying,  at  twelve  I  go  to  the  church  to  practise  a  duet 
with  Mr.  Bateson  for  Sunday.  At  two  I  have  prom 
ised  to  be  at  home  to  show  Miss  Kendal  that  new 
crochet  stitch.  At  two-thirty  Miss  Long  comes  for 
me  to  make  calls  with  her.  At  four  I  am  due  at  the 
rectory  to  the  Ladies'  Guild ;  and  at  five-thirty  I  drive 
out  to  the  county  hospital  with  Miss  Long,  to  carry 


5O  DISILLUSION 

some  papers  that  have  been  donated.  I  am  afraid 
the  society  gotten  up  in  its  behalf  hasn't  much  im 
proved  matters.  There  is  a  constant  change  of  super 
intendents." 

"  I  don't  belong  to  it,"  said  Mrs.  Bullard. 

"I  did;  but  when  one  of  the  officers  objected  to 
admitting.  Mrs.  Buzzel,  who  had  charge  of  the  in 
mates  at  that  time,  and,  as  far  as  I  could  see,  really 
desired  their  best  good,  on  the  ground  that  we  might 
want  to  talk  her  over,  it  looked  to  me  too  much  like 
a  gossip  society,  so  I  left." 

"  Is  that  all  ? "  asked  Mrs.  Bullard,  referring  to 
Mira's  engagements,  as  she  paused. 

The  younger  lady  again  opened  her  note-book,  — 

"At  seven  Mr.  Boyd  calls  to  settle  that  uncomfort 
able  affair  I  told  you  about.  Between  eight  and  nine 
I  must  be  at  the  Vermont  Society,  where  I  hold  an 
office ;  and  at  nine  Mr.  Weed  is  coming  to  be  decapi 
tated."  Mira's  feeble  smile  ended  in  a  pathetic,  "  Oh, 
dear  ! "  that  proved  her  not  quite  naturalized,  or  she 
would  have  considered  the  situation  cause  for  con 
gratulation,  rather  than  for  a  sigh. 

The  "uncomfortable  affair,"  or,  rather,  affairs,  that 
engendered  this  emotion  were  only  two  offers  of  mar 
riage,  made,  one  the  day  before,  the  other  that  morn 
ing  in  church  after  the  duet  practice.  The  entrance 
of  other  members  of  the  choir  had  prevented  any 
response  to  the  latter,  and  Mira  wished  to  make  her 
refusal  kindly;  for,  though  she  had  known  the  young 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  5  I 

man  only  a  week,  apparently  he  was  inoffensive,  and 
had  meant  the  highest  compliment  man  can  pay  to 
woman.  So,  amid  the  rapid  talk  of  the  newcomers 
she  could  only  hastily  appoint  nine  o'clock  of  that 
evening  for  him  to  call  at  her  home. 

The  other  offer  had  cost  her  some  thought.  He 
was  a  widower,  said  to  be  of  irreproachable  business 
standing,  as  well  as  social.  His  age  was  not  unsuited, 
and  the  advantage  of  wealth  was  eminently  on  his 
side.  Mira  was  only  mortal,  and  for  a  moment  she 
had  hesitated.  Brief  as  was  her  indecision,  it  encour 
aged  her  suitor  not  to  accept  her  rejection ;  so  from 
weariness,  she  had  appointed  an  hour  for  another 
interview. 

Private  carriages  in  Fargo  were  neither  many  nor 
marked  for  beauty  or  style.  But  livery  stables  were 
plenty,  and  one  of  these  had  recently  imported  a 
brougham  driven  by  a  man  in  distinctive  livery  dress. 
In  common  parlance,  the  ladies  were  bewitched  with 
it.  It  was  rented  by  the  hour  at  a  most  exorbitant 
price ;  and,  as  the  demand  was  great,  she  who  was  so 
fortunate  as  to  secure  it,  justly  felt  herself  queen  of 
the  situation. 

Dressed  in  black  silk,  relieved  by  trimmings  of 
crimson  moire  antique,  Mrs.  Bullard  stepped  into  this 
carriage  at  twenty  minutes  to  four  on  the  afternoon 
following  the  above  recorded  conversation,  an  object 
of  admiration  to  all  masculine  spectators  and  of  envy 
to  all  feminine.  Her  reisn  was  to  last  six  hours. 


52  DISILLUSION 

Thirty  dollars  was  the  price  of  her  sovereignty.  Her 
pride  was  gratified,  though  her  Vermont  training  suf 
fered  tremors. 

At  five-thirty  the  Headquarters's  audience  were  again 
favored  by  the  sight  of  the  brougham  and  its  pro  tern- 
pore  mistress.  She  had  ten  minutes  in  which  to  change 
her  dress.  "Practice  makes  perfect."  Actresses  learn 
to  do  it  in  one-tenth  of  that  time,  and  Fargo  ladies 
were  not  slow  for  want  of  experience.  The  second 
time  Mrs.  Bullard  entered  her  carriage  she  was  ar 
rayed  in  dark-green  velvet,  trimmed  with  apple-green 
satin.  Between  her  dress  and  her  carriage  she  felt 
her  success  complete  ;  and  this  knowledge  enabled  her 
to  eat  and  drink  at  the  second  tea-table  in  opposition 
to  the  strongest  digestive  objections.  Partaking  of 
the  cup  that  doth  mildly  intoxicate,  tea,  and  of  the 
beverage  that  doth  mightily  inebriate,  flattery,  —  "Your 
dress  is  so  charming!"  "Your  husband  so  success 
ful  !  "  "  Your  taste  so  unequalled  !  "  "  Your  daughter 
so  popular  !  "  "  Your  style  so  unique  !  "  —  Mrs.  Bul 
lard  was  beguiled  into  overstaying  her  limited  time 
by  seven  minutes.  No  law  of  etiquette  would  allow 
her  to  arrive  at  the  next  house  where  she  was  due 
later  than  seven  forty-five.  Her  brain  whirled. 

"Driver,  get  me  to  the  Headquarters  in  three  min 
utes,  and  I  will  give  you  two  dollars  extra."  The  road 
was  rough,  but  the  feat  was  accomplished.  Later, 
Mrs.  Bullard  discovered  that  her  dress  suffered  serious 
detriment  from  the  treatment  consequent  upon  this 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  53 

speed.  But  her  body  knew  no  ill,  for  her  spirit  soared 
on  heights  that  condescended  not  to  mortal  estate. 
Flushed  and  eager,  she  entered  her  room  at  twenty 
minutes  to  eight.  The  new  combination  of  purple 
and  lavender  that  lay  upon  the  bed  awaiting  occu 
pancy  further  electrified  her.  She  rang  the  bell 
sharply.  As  flame  follows  the  striking  of  a  match, 
such  was  the  promptitude  of  the  chore-boy.  Before 
the  bell  had  ceased  tinkling  her  door  sprang  open. 

"  Find  out  if  Miss  Bullard  is  in  !  " 

"  Yes'm.  She's  in  your  parl'r  ;  I  jes'  let  a  gen'lem'n 
in  there,  'n  I  seen  her." 

"  Stay  !  Don't  interrupt !  Send  a  chambermaid 
instead ! "  And  she  tossed  him  a  silver  coin. 

Presto,  change  !  With  the  next  breath  enters  Mary. 
Mrs.  Bullard,  already  struggling  with  the  beautiful 
complicated  combination  that  was  to  crown  her 
triumph,  — 

"  Here's  a  dollar  for  you,  Mary  !  Now  help  me  into 
this  just  as  quick  as  you  can !  But  carefully,  for  it 
is  already  coming  apart  in  two  or  three  places." 

Pins  readily  supplied  the  place  of  treacherous 
thread,  and  before  the  driver  had  swallowed  more 
than  one  smoking  glass  of  his  well-earned  fee,  and 
while  the  wheels  of  her  chariot  were  still  figuratively 
smoking  from  the  haste  of  their  speed,  and  the  horse 
literally,  Mrs.  Bullard  was  again  upon  the  road. 

Oh,  the  inspiration  of  success !  Oh,  the  joy  of 
supereminence  !  Time  wasteth,  money  perisheth;  the 


54  DISILLUSION 

victor's  crown  is  immortal.  At  the  third  tea,  Mrs. 
Bullard  kept  the  brougham  waiting  ten  minutes  be 
yond  the  appointed  hour,  for  which  she  paid  three 
dollars  extra.  At  that  moment  all  coin  was  dross 
compared  with  the  paradise  in  which  she  was  moving. 

Returned  to  her  room,  she  found  its  dimensions 
cramped,  its  air  stifling.  She  undressed  alone.  It 
took  her  a  long  time.  The  structure  of  her  costume 
gave  way  in  several  new  directions,  and  one  or  two  of 
the  pins  that  the  necessity  of  the  moment  had  de 
manded  marked  the  fabric  with  an  unsightly  rent. 
She  was  glad  the  present  diurnal  cycle  demanded  no 
further  effort.  In  brief,  she  experienced  a  decided 
reaction.  She  felt  unequal  to  renewing  the  contest  on 
the  morrow.  As  she  sank  upon  the  bed,  unbidden 
tears  watered  her  pillow.  "  I  am  all  worn  out,"  she 
sighed ;  and  her  spirit  cried  for  its  Vermont  home,  — 
for  the  rest,  the  peace,  that  haven  only  could  bestow. 

During  the  recorded  conversation  of  the  morning 
between  mother  and  daughter  no  time  had  been  lost. 
Each  was  making  her  toilet.  Mira  dressed  in  seal- 
brown  wool  with  plush  panels,  which  she  wore  through 
out  the  day.  It  was  an  innovation  to  be  seen  upon 
the  street  in  the  same  attire  morning  and  afternoon ; 
but  Mira  usurped  privileges,  and  obtained  them. 
Hardly  another  lady  in  Fargo  would  have  dared  the 
experiment. 

At  the  tea-table  she  appeared  in  wine-red  silk,  with 
trimmings  of  cream  velvet  and  lace.  The  dress  suited 


THE  BOOM  OF  A  WESTERN  TOWN       55 

her  rich  complexion  well.  She  was  magnificent.  It 
was  cruelty  to  the  widower.  He  could  not  give  her 
up. 

"  I  will  build  you  a  house  better  than  anything  St. 
Paul  or  Minneapolis  can  boast,"  he  urged.  "  I  own 
lots  in  every  part  of  the  city.  Choose  your  location. 
You  shall  keep  any  number  of  servants,  and  have 
nothing  to  do  but  sit  in  your  chair  and  rock.  You 
shall  have  a  brougham  of  your  own,  and  a  real  nigger 
driver.  Yes,  by  George !  I'll  import  a  nigger.  I'll 
have  him  here  before  a  week's  up.  Every  woman  in 
Fargo  shall  envy  you.  I'll  import  you  dresses  from 
Paris,  and  buy  you  diamonds.  Y^ou  shall  wear  dia 
monds  every  day,  and,  by  Jove !  your  eyes  will  beat 
'em.  The  new  Chicago  confectioner  shall  stay  in 
Fargo,  if  I  keep  him  here  at  my  own  expense,  so  you 
can  always  have  fresh  candy.  I  will  make  a  private 
contract  with  a  California  dealer,  and  you  shall  have 
fresh  fruit  every  day,  and  every  kind  of  goods  that 
Great  Britain  or  the  United  States  ever  canned  shall 
be  stacked  in  your  store-closet.  I  own  farms,  full 
sections,  and  I'll  deed  you  anything  you  say.  I  will, 
by  Jove  !  " 

Mira's  eyes  grew  in  size  and  brilliancy.  His  offer 
was  magnanimous,  and  she  told  him  so. 

"  I  honor  your  zeal,  I  admire  your  enthusiasm."  she 
cried  ;  "  but,"  and  her  voice  sank,  ;%  I  love  Vermont." 

A  knock  interrupted.  Grateful  to  fortune  for  thus 
speedily  terminating  the  interview,  she  opened  the 


56  DISILLUSION 

door.  Vain  gratitude  !  It  had  hardly  closed  upon 
her  importunate  wooer  before  the  newcomer  threw 
himself  at  her  feet. 

His  hair  was  dishevelled,  his  eyes  wild,  his  face, 
alas !  aflame  as  much  with  whiskey  as  with  passion. 

"I  love  you  to  distraction!"  he  cried.  "From  the 
first  moment  I  beheld  you  I  have  worshipped  you  ! 
Say  you  will  be  mine,  or,  by  all  that  is  mighty,  I  will 
blow  my  brains  out  before  midnight !  " 

It  occurred  to  Mira  that  he  had  none  to  dispose  of, 
but  she  only  said,  — 

"  Mr.  Gunn,  you  amaze  me  !  We  have  never  met 
but  twice." 

"  Once  was  enough  !  I  tell  you  I  love,  love,  LOVE 
you !  " 

She  feared  his  shriek  might  be  overheard. 

"  Hush  !     Get  up  and  be  reasonable." 

"  Oh,  you  calm,  cold,  Eastern  nature  !  I  am  of  the 
sunny  South,  but  have  lived  West  long  enough  to  catch 
inspiration  from  its  ozone.  My  love  is  as  boundless  as 
its  prairies  !  My  passion  vies  with  its  cyclones  !  My 
heart  beats  resistless  as  its  blizzards  !  Say  that  you 
return  my  love,  that  you  will  be  mine  to-morrow  — 
to-morrow  morning !  I  brook  no  delay  beyond  to 
morrow  morning  !  See  !  I  have  bought  the  ring.  It 
took  my  last  cent — but  love  is  supreme  !  " 

He  grasped  her  hand,  and  strove  to  press  the  golden 
circlet  upon  her  finger. 

"  Where  is  your  home  ?  " 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  5/ 

"  In  paradise,  for  I  am  beside  you." 

She  held  herself  calm.  "  But  you  board  some 
where  ? " 

"  I  suppose  so  —  on  Ninth  Street." 

'•Well,  go  home  now ;  that  is  the  best  place  for  you." 

"  Depart  from  you  ?  Never  !  Our  souls  are 
wedded." 

'•  Mr.  Gunn,  you  must  go  home  now,  and  give  me 
time  to  think." 

"  Think !  What  about  ?  You  have  promised  to 
marry  me,  haven't  you  ?  You  did  promise,  didn't 
you  ?  " 

"  Go  home  now ;  that's  a  good  boy  !  Promise  me 
you  will  go  straight  home,  and  I  will  write  you  a 
letter." 

"Oh,  bliss!  I  obey.  But,  remember,  I  shall  come 
for  you  in  the  morning,  and  if  you  disappoint  me,  I 
will  blow  my  brains  out." 

'•  Poor  boy,  away  from  home  and  friends  !  "  sighed 
Mira.  "I  will  try  to  be  a  sister  to  him."  She  found 
pen  and  paper,  and  wrote  him  such  a  letter  as  she 
would  wish  Jonnie  to  receive  were  he  grown,  and 
exposed  to  Fargo  temptations.  Her  mantel  clock 
struck  eight  as  she  sealed  the  envelope.  She  rang 
the  bell. 

"  Waiter,  mail  this,  and  have  a  carriage  at  the  door 
in  three  minutes." 

Her  orders  were  obeyed,  and  at  nine  minutes  past 
eight  she  was  in  her  seat  at  the  hall  where  the  Yer- 


58  DISILLUSION 

mont  Society  held  their  meetings.  Had  time  per 
mitted,  she  was  conscious  she  would  have  felt  weak 
and  tremulous ;  but,  remembering  that  the  session 
lasted  only  an  hour,  she  held  her  nerves  in  check. 
Obedient  to  her  office,  that  of  secretary,  she  read  the 
reports.  Conversation  followed;  and  as  this  society 
prided  itself  upon  its  intellectual  superiority,  the 
strain  to  sustain  the  reputation  was  tremendous.  At 
nine  the  meeting  adjourned.  Her  carriage  was  in 
attendance,  and  a  half-dozen  gentlemen  pressed  for 
ward,  eager  to  "see  her  home."  But  she  had  long 
since  learned  to  give  them  no  such  advantage.  They 
were  "  bother  "  enough  without. 

The  driver  of  the  hack  spent  the  hour  Mira  was 
at  the  Vermont  Society  in  a  saloon.  The  horses 
passed  the  time  tied  to  a  post  outside  its  door.  Op 
posed  as  was  the  temperature  of  the  two  places,  the 
effect  wrought  upon  each  was  the  same.  The  former 
was  frenzied  by  drink,  the  latter  were  unmanageable 
with  cold.  To  escape  escort,  she  sprang  into  the 
carriage,  and  somehow  the  driver  scrambled  to  his 
seat,  the  horses  already  in  motion.  A  wild  race  en 
sued.  Through  what  streets  it  took  her,  or  over  what 
distance,  Mira  never  knew.  She  closed  her  eyes, 
though  the  night  was  pitchy  dark,  and  clung,  breath 
less,  to  her  seat.  Fortunately  the  man  was  beyond 
any  attempt  to  guide  the  animals,  and  instinct  soon 
brought  them  to  their  stable.  It  was  only  ten  minutes 
past  nine,  but  a  lifetime  of  terror  had  been  crowded 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TO\\  X  59 

into  that  short  space.  Hostlers  were  in  attendance ; 
but  Mira  preferred  to  leave  the  carriage  there,  and 
walk  home  alone. 

The  passage  to  her  room  led  past  the  hotel  office. 
The  clerk  detained  her. 

"  Mr.  Camp  is  waiting  in  your  parlor.  He  said  he 
had  an  appointment,  and  I  let  him  in  there." 

Mira  suppressed  a  groan.  "After  all,  to-day  is  no 
worse  than  all  the  days,"  she  reflected.  "  Only  some 
times  it  is  one.  thing,  and  sometimes  another." 

Mr.  Camp  had  not  made  his  declaration  of  love  in 
the  calmest  manner  in  the  morning,  and  in  the  interim 
his  mood  had  grown  even  more  stormy. 

"  You  have  encouraged  me,"  he  vehemently  af 
firmed.  "  You  have  sung  a  duet  with  me  in  church. 
You  have  met  me  for  practice !  My  manner  must 
have  betrayed  the  volcano  in  my  breast !  The  pas 
sion  of  my  voice  meant  love  for  you !  Earth  will 
become  elysian  as  we  go  singing  through  life  to 
gether! " 

Mira  said  imagination  failed  to  transport  her  thither; 
that  his  proposal  was  as  undesirable  as  unexpected. 

Then  he  accused  her  of  coquetry,  and  threatened 
punishment  dire  through  exposure.  In  vain  she  de 
clared  he  had  never  given  her  any  grounds  to  suspect 
his  sentiments  ;  that,  in  their  few  meetings,  not  even 
the  freedom  of  friendship  had  been  established. 

"I  don't  know  Eastern  customs!''  he  exclaimed;  "I 
am  a  citizen  of  the  noble  West.  I  carry  a  pistol  and 


6O  DISILLUSION 

a  bowie-knife.  You  shall  be  my  bride,  or  the  bride 
of  a  groom  more  exacting ! "  and  he  emphasized  this 
threat  by  half  drawing  from  his  pocket  the  boasted 
knife.  Mira  shuddered.  The  features  before  her 
were  transformed,  and  in  this  new  light  he  seemed 
capable  of  any  desperate  deed.  She  felt  herself  un 
able  to  cope  with  such  a  character. 

"Be  generous!"  she  cried.  "Give  me  until  to 
morrow !  " 

"  Until  to-morrow,  then.  But  beware  !  "  As  he 
departed  he  impressed  this  caution  by  giving  her  a 
glimpse  of  his  revolver. 

At  the  moment  Mrs.  Bullard  crept,  sobbing,  between 
her  sheets,  simultaneously  Mira  threw  herself  on  her 
bed  in  a  passionate  burst  of  tears. 

"This  is  unendurable!"  her  spirit  cried.  "Why, 
why,  did  we  ever  leave  Blankridge?" 

Her  mental  voice  found  no  response,  so  she  wept 
on,  disconsolate. 

Mr.  Bullard  now  owned  so  many  town  lots,  his  con 
dition  was  similar  to  that  of  Alexander  the  Great, 
who  wept  that  there  were  no  more  worlds  to  conquer. 
Why  not  add  to  the  city  limits?  his  brain  evolved. 
Bullard's  Addition  would  sound  equally  well  with 
Darling's,  Tyler's,  or  Lowell's.  Yes,  he  would  pur 
chase  land  just  outside  the  city,  get  it  incorporated, 
stake  it  into  lots,  then  "boom"  them.  He  was  well 
posted  in  all  the  current  lexicology.  Only  one  little 
hindrance  stood  in  the  way  of  his  scheme.  With  his 


THE    DOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  6 1 

present  investments  he  lacked  sufficient  capital.  Of 
course  he  could  rent  money,  but  here  his  inherited 
caution  prevailed.  While  he  was  still  debating  the 
subject,  a  new  arrival  in  town  settled  the  question, 
and  to  his  satisfaction.  Mr.  Hicks  would  go  into 
partnership  —  Billiard  and  Hicks's  Addition.  With 
out  delay  the  ground  was  found,  purchased,  and  all 
the  legal  formalities  necessary  to  include  it  within  the 
city,  transacted.  The  streets  were  marked  to  run  at 
right  angles,  and  given  sounding  names.  Cheap,  fer 
tile,  healthy,  aristocratic,  electric  light,  horse-cars, 
city  reservoir,  were  terms  so  skilfully  mingled  in  the 
advertisements,  that  after  a  few  days  the  proprietors 
themselves,  as  well  as  the  general  public,  felt  that 
these  improvements  were  an  actual  present  possession, 
instead  of  a  future  possibility. 

Several  lots  were  sold.  Mr.  Billiard  was  satisfied 
with  their  progress,  but  Mr.  Hicks  was  impatient. 
He  had  only  run  up  to  Fargo  for  the  winter.  In  the 
spring  he  intended  resuming  business  in  St.  Paul,  and 
his  money  would  be  needed. 

"  Let's  advertise  a  great  sale,"  he  proposed.  "  Char 
ter  trains  from  the  east  and  west.  Send  a  band  up 
and  down  the  city.  Let  somebody  lead  a  bear,  rhi 
noceros,  or  kangaroo.  Have  a  free  lunch  on  the 
grounds.  Make  the  boys  lively  by  something  warm 
ing  for  their  insides,  and  before  night  we'll  have  every 
lot  of  land  off  our  hands,  a:Kl  be  ready  to  retire  with 
all  the  business  we  want,  to  look  after  our  money." 


62  DISILLUSION 

"I  will  sleep  on  the  proposition,"  said  Jonathan 
Bullard. 

He  was  now  pretty  well  versed  in  real-estate  busi 
ness.  He  knew  all  its  ins  and  outs.  He  had  invested 
in  everything  as  it  came  to  hand,  had  made  piles  of 
money,  and  had  lost  more  than  he  originally  brought 
to  Fargo.  He  had  never  stopped  to  balance  accounts ; 
Western  trade  has  no  time  for  such  tedium.  The  plan 
proposed  by  Mr.  Hicks  held  risks.  It  might  prove 
an  overwhelming  success,  and,  without  any  apparent 
cause,  it  might  be  utter  ruin.  The  expense  of  adver 
tising,  trains  for  transportation,  and  the  lunch  would 
be  enormous.  If  the  "lots"  did  not  sell,  it  would 
embarrass  them  with  an  unreasoning  stigma  that  time 
alone  could  remove.  Such  had  been  the  fate  of 
whole  proposed  townships  ;  and  again,  a  like  proceed 
ing  had  been  known  to  make  men  millionaires  in  a 
half-day.  No  mortal  could  predict  whether  they  could 
get  a  crowd  together,  or  still  less  whether,  being  col 
lected,  they  would  purchase.  Nevertheless,  Mr.  Bul 
lard  decided  he  would  run  the  risk  as  far  as  the  sale 
was  concerned :  it  was  the  lunch  that  deterred  him, 
or,  rather,  the  liquor.  He  had  been  brought  up  on 
strictly  temperance  principles.  He  voted  for  prohibi 
tion,  and,  unlike  most  of  his  business  associates,  had 
brought  his  principles  with  him  when  he  came  West. 
So  he  and  his  partner  "split." 

"  Couldn't  sell  a  damned  cent's  worth  without  the 
drink,"  the  latter  insisted.  •  "Sale  'd  be  as  dry  as  the 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  63 

boys'  throats.  I  tell  yer,  drink  and  success  go  to 
gether.  Boys  will  have  it.  It's  no  odds  whether  we 
give  it  to  'em,  or  the  saloon-keeper.  And  they  need 
it,  too,  in  this  damn  climate." 

Mr.  Bullard  was  tempted,  and  asked  another  night 
for  consideration. 

Rectitude  prevailed. 

"  I'll  sell  out  to  you,"  he  announced  the  next  morn 
ing. 

Mr.  Hicks  indulged  himself  in  further  profanity, 
but  accepted  the  offer ;  and  before  night  Bullard's 
name  was  stricken  from  the  Addition. 

Mr.  Hicks  carried  out  his  proposed  programme. 
He  imported  a  bear  and  a  monkey ;  and  for  a  week 
a  man,  who  bore  on  his  back  a  placard  advertising 
the  sale,  exercised  these  animals  throughout  the  city. 
They  knew  no  tricks,  and  looked  decidedly  forlorn,  es 
pecially  after  their  keeper  had  taken  his  forenoon  pota 
tion  ;  for  then  he  beat  them  a  good  deal,  and  forgot  to 
give  them  dinner  or  supper.  But  they  continued  inter 
esting  to  schoolboys,  the  poorest  and  meanest  among 
whom  knew  enough  to  know  that  the  monkey  was 
superior  to  its  master  ;  and  they  hoped  that  some  day, 
when  he  had  been  more  abusive  than  usual,  the  bear 
would  eat  him  up. 

Three  days  before  the  sale,  an  old  chariot,  painted 
in  flaming  colors,  and  drawn  by  four  mules,  tandem, 
perambulated  the  streets,  the  occupants  of  the  same 
discoursing  music  from  varied  instruments,  weird, 


64  DISILLUSION 

wild,  merry  or  sad,  according  to  the  state  of  their 
spirits,  influenced  by  the  amount  of  spirituous  indul 
gence  allowed  by  their  finances. 

The  culminating  day,  the  day  of  the  sale,  was  the 
day  that  saw  the  height  of  Mrs.  Bullard's  triumph, 
and  witnessed  the  final  triumph  of  her  weary  flesh; 
the  day  that  thrice  gave  Mira  a  chance  to  change  her 
maiden  estate,  and  finally  saw  her  wearily  crying  for 
home.  Every  department  of  business  in  Fargo  was 
qui  vive  on  that  day.  A  free  ride  was  sure  to  be 
patronized,  —  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis,  and  all  intervening- 
stations  from  the  east ;  from  the  west,  Bismarck,  James 
town,  Valley  City,  Casselton,  including  lesser  stations. 
The  restaurants,  hotels,  and  saloons  alone  expected  a 
day  of  rest.  The  free  lunch  would  spoil  their  business. 

As  was  predicted,  the  trains  poured  in  thousands 
of  people.  It  was  estimated  that  by  ten  o'clock  in  the 
morning  the  population  of  the  city  had  quadrupled. 
Hicks's  spirits  were  so  elate  that  he  moved  in  aerial 
space,  propelled  as  is  the  swallow.  Standing  in  his 
office  door,  Mr.  Bullard  gave  up  trying  to  count  the 
strangers.  He  sympathized  with  his  former  partner's 
exultation,  though  his  muttered,  "  Couldn't  V  looked 
my  children  in  the  face  otherwise,"  proved  he  was 
satisfied  with  his  own  course. 

At  noon,  the  hour  when  lunch  was  served  on  Hicks's 
Addition,  not  a  man  could  be  found  on  Front  Street 
or  Broadway.  Thus  far  was  Hicks's  Great  Sale  pat 
ronized.  The  common  herd  ate  his  food,  and  emptied 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  65 

his  kegs  of  beer,  rum,  gin,  or  whiskey  to  the  dregs. 
The  professions  and  city  officials  ate  at  a  separate 
table,  and  made  havoc  of  the  bottled  drinks.  When 
the  auctioneer  mounted  his  stand,  jests  from  every 
direction  assailed  him.  They  would  have  ll  squelched  " 
any  but  a  Western  man.  He  stood  his  ground.  De 
prived  of  fun  in  that  direction,  the  crowd  scattered 
back  to  the  main  streets  of  the  city.  They  were  in 
good-natured  mood,  —  most  of  them  -in  a  mood  for 
trade,  though  too  shrewd  to  snap  at  Hicks's  bait. 
Such  sharp  angling  must  mean  a  bogus  worm,  they 
said.  "Takes  a  rogue  to  catch  a  rogue."  The  real- 
estate  dealers  on  Front  Street  and  Broadway  reaped 
the  advantage  of  Hicks's  Great  Sale.  Town  lots, 
town  houses,  farms,  mortgages,  bank-stock,  changed 
and  exchanged  hands.  Mr.  Bullard  came  in  for  his 
share  of  bargains.  Money  rattled  m  and  out  of  his 
drawer  like  dice  in  their  box.  He  made  only  cash 
sales.  This  was  not  the  crowd  to  trust  beyond  the 
range  of  vision.  If  one  hadn't  the  money,  another 
had.  As  night  approached,  "the  combat  thickened." 
Many  lost  customers  by  going  to  supper.  Our  friend's 
stomach  made  no  demand  on  his  brain.  He  was  as 
independent  of  food  as  a  god.  He  was  unconscious 
of  volition.  Customers  came,  purchased,  and  de 
parted  with  lawyers,  who  were  reaping  their  share  of 
profits  by  settling  legal  formalities.  The  scratchings 
of  the  pens  of  their  clerks  pervaded  the  atmosphere 
like  the  hum  of  steam-sped  machinery. 


66  DISILLUSION 

At  eight  o'clock  the  specials  bore  east  and  west 
the  patrons  of  Hicks's  bounty,  if  not  of  his  land. 

"  There  goes  the  whistle  !  "  cried  Mr.  Billiard  to  his 
clerk,  as  the  puff  of  departing  trains  reached  their 
ears.  "  Now  we  can  cool  off." 

Their  brows  exuded  perspiration  that  bespoke  a 
raging  furnace  within. 

"  Bill,  step  out  and  get  us  an  icicle.  We've  had 
a  pretty  warm  time  of  it." 

Master  and  clerk  wiped  their  faces,  and  held  the 
grateful  beverage  in  their  mouths,  but  Bill  uneasily. 
Presently  he  spoke,  — 

"  A  beefsteak  would  cool  me  quicker." 

Mr.  Bullard  laughed.  "  Thinking  of  supper,  hey  ? 
Well,  'tis  about  time.  You've  done  well.  Here's  an 
extra,"  and  he  tossed  him  a  ten-dollar-bill.  "Don't 
spend  it  in  drink. 

"  Hope  I've  made  as  much,"  he  meditated,  with  a 
sudden  thoughtful  air,  as  Bill's  flying  footsteps  echoed 
down  the  street.  At  this  moment  it  occurred  to 
him  to  take  account  of  stock,  —  with  all  his  buying 
and  selling,  a  precaution  he  had  never  yet  adopted 
in  Fargo.  The  wheels  of  his  watch  sped  round. 
Time  neither  hastened  nor  delayed.  The  hands  in 
dicated  nine,  ten,  eleven,  and  twelve  o'clock.  The 
rosy  flush  of  success  had  gradually  fled  from  Mr. 
Bullard's  cheek.  From  pale  it  grew  to  sallow,  and 
sallow  finally  gave  place  to  pallor.  If  his  individu 
ality  was  intact,  if  this  man  that  seemed  to  sit  in  his 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  / 

chair,  at  his  desk,  in  his  office,  handling  his  books  and 
papers,  by  the  light  of  his  kerosene  lamp,  was  Jona 
than  Bullard,  born  in  Blankridge,  Vermont,  on  the 
nineteenth  day  of  April,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1822, 
migrated  to  Fargo,  Dakota,  on  the  thirty-first  day  of 
December,  1878,  this  same  Jonathan  Bullard  was  dis 
possessed  of  every  penny's  worth  of  Dakota  property, 
city  or  country,  mortgage  or  proprietorship ;  while  he 
held  in  his  hands  legal  coin,  or  bank-notes  of  legal 
tender,  to  the  amount  of  18,637.23,  —  just  $354-3x 
less  than  this  same  Jonathan  Bullard  took  away 
from  Blankridge,  Vt.,  three  months  before,  lacking 
five  days. 

"  I  believe  it's  all  a  dream,"  he  muttered.  "  But,  by 
Jehoshaphat !  if  I  don't  wake  up  five  days  from 
to-night  and  find  myself  at  home,  then  my  name  isn't 
Jonathan  Bullard." 

He  buried  his  money  in  his  trousers  pockets,  threw 
the  loose  papers  on  which  he  had  been  scribbling 
into  the  stove,  turned  the  key  to  his  office  for  the 
last  time,  and  with  rapid  strides  sought  his  hotel. 

"  Guess  'twill  be  a  tussle  with  the  women-folks,"  he 
thought,  as  he  mounted  the  stairs  with  a  tread  that 
betokened,  conquer  or  die.  He  did  not  attempt  to 
open  his  chamber  door  softly ;  for  he  intended  to  com 
mence  the  siege  that  very  night,  and  to  wake  Mrs. 
Bullard  by  his  entrance  would  be  a  gain  on  time. 
His  pleasant  surprise  to  find  the  lamp  burning  was 
merged  into  wonder  when  both  "  his  women-folks,"  in 


68  DISILLUSION 

country  parlance,  rose  "on  end"  in  bed.  For  a  mo 
ment  the  two  parties  viewed  each  other  doubtfully. 

"  I  am  all  worn  out,"  groaned  Mrs.   Eullard. 

"  This  is  unendurable,"  moaned  Mira. 

"  Let's  go  home,  then,"  chuckled  Mr.  Bullard. 

" Oh  !  will  you  ?  will  you?  "  cried  the  women,  spring 
ing  from  "end"  to  feet. 

"Jonathan   Bullard,  this  is  no  time  for  fooling." 

It  was  the  wife  who  spoke.  She  felt  that  the 
occasion  demanded  sincerity. 

"  I  will  be  ready  to  start  at  seven  o'clock  to-morrow 
morning,"  was  her  husband's  rejoinder. 

Mrs.   Bullard  turned  to  her  daughter,  — 

"  Mira  ? " 

"  Yes,  indeed  !  We've  had  to  keep  almost  every 
thing  packed  for  want  of  closet-room,  and  what  little 
isn't,  we  can  whisk  into  the  trunks  in  less  than  five 
minutes.  Oh,  I  am  so  thankful !  " 

"Well,  everything's  lively  in  the  office  yet.  I'll 
go  down  and  settle  up,  and  attend  to  one  or  two 
other  little  matters  while  you're  about  it,"  responded 
Mr.  Bullard. 

The  bond  between  the  mother  and  daughter  had 
always  been  close,  but  the  events  of  that  evening 
had  cemented  it.  Mira  had  not  long  indulged  the 
luxury  of  woe  in  solitude.  She  sought  her  mother, 
and  poured  all  her  troubles  into  that  ever-sym 
pathetic  ear.  Mrs.  Bullard  confided  to  her  daughter 
her  weariness  of  their  present  life,  and  together  they 


THE  BOOM  OF  A  WESTERN  TOWN       69 

had  tried  to  devise  plans  by  which  to  induce  Mr. 
Bullard  to  return  home.  They  had  little  hope  of 
success,  but  determined  to  make  a  strong  appeal,  — 
to  entreat,  to  adjure  him  to  return  to  Blankridge. 
The  wonder  his  readiness  to  leave  Fargo  would  have 
excited  under  any  other  circumstances  was  now 
merged  in  joy.  Massed  wearing-apparel  soon  took 
the  place  that  Mrs.  Bullard  and  Mira  had  vacated  on 
the  bed,  and  in  an  incredibly  short  time  that  had 
disappeared  within  trunks  and  packing-cases. 

"Anywhere  else,  our  going  away  so  sudden  would 
seem  strange,"  remarked  Mrs.  Bullard,  as  they  stepped 
aboard  the  train  the  following  morning. 

"  Oh,  undoubtedly  our  ears  will  have  a  chance 
to  burn  for  an  hour  or  two/'  replied  Mira.  "  But  I 
noticed  quite  a  number  of  passengers  got  off  our  train, 
and  the  Eastern  will  bring  more.  By  ten  o'clock 
we  shall  be  as  utterly  forgotten  as  though  we  had 
never  existed." 

"  We  leave  under  conditions  a  little  peculiar, 
though,"  remarked  Mr.  Bullard.  "  But  they  will 
assist  forgetfulness,  rather  than  keep  us  in  mind.  I 
have  squared  every  bill." 


7O  DISILLUSION 


PART   III 

REGRESSION 

"  HAD    anybody   told    me    last    year,    Jonme,    that 
you  and  I  was  going  to  be  left  to  do  all  the  spring 
planning    alone,    I    wouldn't    ha'    believed    them.     I 
never    before    really    felt    that    I    was    a    poor    lone- 
widder." 

Thus  spoke  Grannie  Bullard,  sitting  with  her  grand 
son  alone  in  front  of  a  cheerful  wood  fire  that  leaped 
and  sparkled  on  the  hearth  of  their  spacious  parlor, 
as  the  twilight  of  April  Fool's  Day  was  fast  deepen 
ing  into  the  gloom  of  a  cloudy  night. 

"  Don't  feel  bad,"  replied  Jonnie.  "  You  know  I 
am  growing  bigger  every  day ;  and  Lon  Peters  would 
just  chop  his  head  of!  for  you,  he  is  so  good." 

"  Yes,  if  Lon  was  your  own  brother  he  couldn't 
be  kinder ;  but  I  miss  Jonathan.  I  shall  never  be 
reconciled  to  his  living  in  foreign  parts.  It's  been 
a  good  while  since  we  got  a  letter,"  she  continued, 
after  a  pause.  "  I'm  a'most  worried." 

"  Oh,  don't  worry,  Grannie  !  You  know  they  are 
all  awful  busy.  My !  what  a  pile  of  money  father 
must  have  made  by  this  time  !  No  wonder  it  takes 
him  all  the  time  to  take  care  of  it." 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  /I 

"  Riches  are  an  awful  snare,  Jonnie.  I  am  sorry 
your  father's  mind  is  so  took  up  with  them." 

"  Maybe  he'll  come  out  all  right,"  comforted  the 
boy  with  the  sapiency  of  age. 

The  spring  had  been  unusually  cold  and  drear,  so 
that  ploughing  was  now  only  just  possible.  The  fields 
of  Northern  Vermont  could  not  be  ploughed,  sowed, 
and  reaped  in  unfailing  routine ;  they  were  dependent 
on  the  season's  temperature.  No  grain  would  have 
time  to  ripen  on  those  exposed  to  northern  winds  at 
this  late  planting,  so  grandmother  and  son  consulted 
on  the  practicability  of  changes. 

"  I  don't  have  the  confidence  in  myself  I  used  to 
have,"  grandmother  deplored.  "  Jonathan's  moving 
to  foreign  parts  has  all  broke  me  up." 

A  rap  at  the  door  interrupted  her  plaint.  Alonzo 
Peters  entered.  He  was  a  frequent  guest,  and  always 
welcome.  He  made  things  much  more  cheerful  for 
Jonnie,  as  well  as  for  the  grandmother.  They  again 
discussed  the  spring  work  at  length,  and  settled  to 
what  use  each  "  pasture  "  should  be  put.  Then  the 
conversation  veered  to  its  usual  subject.  Fargo,  and 
the  relation  of  their  family  to  that  city.  The  evening 
waned.  The  late  express  announced  its  approach 
from  a  distance. 

"  It's  slowing  up  ! "  cried  Jonnie,  his  ears  alert. 
"  Somebody's  come  !  " 

This  form  of  speech  indicated  that  the  express-train 
stopped  at  Blankridge  Station  only  to  drop  a  pas- 


72  DISILLUSION 

senger  or  take  one  aboard  ;  and  this  was  of  rare  oc 
currence  at  the  present  season  of  the  year. 

"  I  wonder  who  it  can  be,"  said  Lon.  "  I  don't 
believe  anybody's  leaving  town,  and  I  haven't  heard 
as  anybody's  expected.  But  there  might  have  been  ; 
I  haven't  been  to  the  store  now  for  two  evenings." 

Jennie's  thought  ran,  —  "when  I'm  big  enough  to 
do  as  I've  a  mind  to,  catch  me  staying  away  two 
nights ! "  but  his  vocal  response  was,  "  That's  the 
place  to  get  the  news." 

"  I've  been  expecting  a  letter  from  them  for  a  week," 
said  Grannie.  "  They've  never  gone  so  long  before." 

"  I  hope  nothing  has  happened,"  responded  Alonzo  : 
"that  Mr.  Bullard  hasn't  been  so  foolish,  as  to  drive 
out  to  some  of  his  farms,  and  they  all  got  lost  in  a 
blizzard  "  — 

"And  froze  to  death,"  finished  Grannie.  "Such 
things  are  common  there,  Mira  writes." 

"  Father  never  was  risky,"  said  Jonnie. 

"No,  riot  till  he  took  to  foreign  parts,"  admitted 
Grannie. 

A  pause  ensued. 

"  I  hear  a  wagon  !  "  cried  Jonnie. 

Their  house  was  situated  on  a  road  little  frequented, 
particularly  in  the  evening.  "  I  wonder  "  —  but  won 
der  prevented  further  utterance.  The  vehicle  was 
certainly  approaching  at  a  smart  trot,  and,  wonder  of 
wonders !  it  drew  up  at  their  door.  Jonnie  rushed  out 
hatless,  and  Alonzo  followed  with  scarcely  less  alac- 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  73 

rity.  Grannie  rose,  and  took  a  lamp  to  the  window. 
Its  rays  fell  in  direct  line  upon  the  faces  of  the  pas 
sengers. 

"  What's  up,  father  ? "  cried  Jonnie,  with  a  face 
gleaming  ghostly  out  of  the  darkness. 

Lon's  tongue  was  paralyzed,  and  he  felt  his  limbs 
equally  so.  But  somehow,  he  never  knew  how,  he  got 
to  the  carriage,  and  put  out  a  hand  to  assist  the  occu 
pants  in  alighting. 

"Glad  to  see  you,"  said  Mr.  Bullard,  heartily 
wringing  the  hands  of  both  his  friend  and  his  son. 
Mrs.  Bullard  kissed  each  with  equal  warmth,  her  wet 
face  leaving  its  impress  on  their  cheeks.  Then  came 
the  daughter's  turn.  Neither  knew  which  made  the 
initiatory  move,  but  Lon  and  Mira  kissed  as  though 
their  lips  would  never  part.  But  before  this,  Grannie 
had  heard  the  voices,  and,  simultaneously  with  the 
recognition,  had  set  down  both  herself  and  the  lamp, 
so  they  were  in  shadow.  Fortunately,  Vermont  soil 
was  not  conducive  to  the  development  of  nerves,  or 
the  old  lady  might  have  suffered  from  the  sudden 
shock  of  this  return,  though  the  emotion  was  purely 
pleasurable. 

The  maid  had  gone  to  bed,  but  the  unusual  sound 
of  a  carriage  had  waked  her ;  and  she,  too,  recognized 
the  voices,  and  jumped  up  and  slipped  into  her  clothes 
with  almost  the  celerity  of  Fargo  practice.  But,  quick 
as  she  was,  Lon  was  before  her  in  the  kitchen,  and 
had  the  brimming  tea-kettle  over  a  brisk  fire  when  she 
entered. 


74  DISILLUSION 

They  all  talked,  —  before  supper,  while  the  meal  was 
in  progress,  and  after  supper.  The  conversation  was 
desultory;  but  the  overcharged  feelings  of  each  found 
relief  in  imparting  information,  quite  as  much  as  in 
receiving  it. 

Late  as  was  the  hour  when  they  separated,  Lon  hur 
ried  his  chores  and  breakfast  to  repeat  his  visit  in  the 
morning.  He  was  so  early  that  grandmother  and  Mr. 
Bullard  were  the  only  members  of  the  family  visible. 
He  sought  the  latter  in  the  barn. 

"  I  don't  know  what  your  plans  are,"  he  said ;  "but 
of  course  if  you  want  your  farm  back,  it  is  yours. 
Somehow,  I  have  felt  all  the  time  as  if  I.  was  only  tak 
ing  care  of  it  for  you  to  have  a  little  vacation." 

Mr.  Bullard  shook  his  visitor's  hand  with  a  face 
broadened  and  aglow  with  pleasure.  He  would  never 
have  believed  Vermont's  rugged  scenery  could  make 
him  so  glad. 

"And  what  are  your  plans  in  case  I  accept  your 
offer  ? " 

The  young  man's  lips  still  tingled  with  Mira's  greet 
ing  of  the  night  before.  It  emboldened  speech. 

"  In  any  case,  my  plans  are  —  to  marry  Mira,  if  she 
has  come  back  free." 

The  coveted  father-in-law  gave  a  long,  low  whistle. 
"  Wife  used  to  talk  about  that  before  we  went  away, 
but  I  didn't  suppose  'twas  settled.  She's  been  round 
a  good  deal  with  one  and  another  since  we've  been 
gone,  but  'twas  all  the  same  who  with.  A  girl  couldn't 


THE  BOOM  OF  A  WESTERN  TOWN       75 

live  in  Fargo,  and  not  get  whirled  about;  but  I  must 
say  for  her,  f  she  never  got  half  so  flighty  as  her 
mother." 

"It  wasn't  settled  at  all,"  replied  Alonzo,  "though 
Mira  knew  my  wishes  before  she  left.  That  she  has 
come  back,  encourages  me." 

"Well,  you  have  my  best  wishes  for  success.  She 
was  full  as  anxious  as  any  of  us  to  get  home." 

When  breakfast  was  announced,  Lon  accepted  Mr. 
Bullard's  invitation  to  join  them,  and  he  managed  to 
get  a  seat  next  Mira. 

"  I  am  too  excited  to  settle  to  any  kind  of  work," 
she  said,  as  they  rose  from  the  table. 

"Come  out,  then,"  implored  Lon.  "You  ought  to 
see  how  things  are  getting  on  at  the  barn  and  about" 

"  The  old  speckled  hen's  got  fifteen  chickens,"  cried 
Jonnie,  "  and  Brindle's  calf  is  just  a  beauty.  Grannie 
says  I  may  raise  it.  Come  and  see." 

The  girl  needed  no  urging.  They  went  through  the 
barn  and  its  enclosures.  Mira  was  sure  the  animals 
all  recognized  her,  and  the  newcomers  recognized 
relationship.  Pattie,  the  little  shepherd  maid,  would 
not  let  go  her  skirts  one  moment,  and  growled  with 
jealousy  every  time  Lon  took  Mira's  hand  to  assist  her 
in  mounting  steps  or  surmounting  bars ;  and  he  made 
excuse  very  often  by  choosing  paths  Jonnie 's  judg 
ment  would  have  shunned. 

Then  they  strayed  through  the  garden.  Nature  had 
relented.  The  sun  was  on  duty,  as  becomes  the  sun 


76  DISILLUSION 

of  April.  The  south  vouchsafed  a  breeze  borrowed 
from  summer.  In  spite  of  discouragements,  balm  and 
daffadowndilly  were  peeping  little  green  heads  above 
the  soil.  Buds  were  swelling  on  the  lilac  bush,  and 
pussy-willows  over-hanging  the  brook  hard  by  had 
hung  out  all  their  tassels. 

"  Jonnie,"  called  his  father,  "  don't  you  want  to  go 
to  Long  Meadow  with  me,  and  see  about  ploughing 
it?" 

"You  won't  mind,  will  you,  if  I  do?"  the  boy 
asked,  turning  to  his  sister. 

"  Not  a  bit,"  was  her  reply ;  but  the  next  moment 
she  flushed  rosy  red,  for  the  thought  of  being  left 
alone  with  Alonzo  recalled  their  meeting  of  the  night 
before,  and  she  was  not  quite  sure  but  she  had  made 
the  first  advance. 

"  Now  let's  walk  over  to  your  house,"  Lon  pleaded. 

"  Yours,  rather."  Mira  tried  to  laugh  away  gather 
ing  embarrassment  as  she  turned  in  the  direction  of 
her  old  home. 

"  Let  it  be  ours,  Mira.  You  have  come  back  ;  tell 
me  that  you  come  free." 

"  Alas  !  I  cannot,"  she  whispered. 

Alonzo  paused,  the  bright  flush  on  his  face  turned 
to  pallor. 

"I  believe"  —  she  stammered — "I  think  that  I 
didn't  go  away  quite  free,"  and  she  held  out  her  hand. 

Pattie  mightily  resented  the  liberty  Alonzo  took 
from  this  confession.  She  fairly  danced  around  them, 


THE  BOOM  OF  A  WESTERN  TOWN       7/ 

barking  vociferously,  till  Lon  was  fain  to  desist,  lest 
her  turbulence  attract  spectators. 

They  visited  the  other  house,  the  barn,  the  grounds  ; 
and  once  or  twice  Mira  was  beguiled  into  calling  it 
"ours."  The  tableau  that  had  first  provoked  Pattie's 
anger  was  so  often  repeated,  that  from  familiarity  or 
despair,  she  grew  reconciled,  and  only  watched  the 
proceeding  from  the  corners  of  her  eyes. 

The  express-train  had  telegraphed  an  arrival  to 
others  than  Jonnie  on  the  evening  of  the  Bullards' 
return,  and  the  "news,"  in  local  vernacular,  "spread 
like  wildfire :  "  that  is,  in  the  course  of  a  week  there 
was  hardly  a  house  in  the  village  that  had  not  heard 
for  whose  convenience  it  had  stopped,  and  discussed 
the  possible  whys  and  wherefores  that  had  brought  the 
family  back  ;  and  the  determination  was  general  to 
call  and  find  out  "for  certain."  Their  return  was 
universally  considered  a  good  thing  for  the  town,  and 
curiosity  was  well  impregnated  with  good-will.  But 
the  season  was  unpropitious  for  visiting  :  melting  frost 
made  the  roads  muddy  ;  farm-work  pressed ;  house- 
cleaning  was  at  hand.  Consequently,  our  Western 
acclimated  friends  had  time  to  rest,  and  settle  into 
routine,  and  feel  a  trifle  neglected,  before  visitors  ar 
rived.  Mira  said  the  days  seemed  a  week  long,  and 
Mrs.  Bullard  had  to  resort  to  a  nap  after  dinner  to 
pass  away  time. 

Mr.  Justin,  the  minister,  and  his  wife  came  first. 
The  Bullard  ladies  had  always  been  important  auxil- 


78  DISILLUSION 

iaries  in  church-work,  and  proved  their  interest  una 
bated  by  attending  service  the  first  Sunday  after  their 
return,  though  Mira  did  not  resume  her  place  in  the 
choir ;  and,  to  the  mystification  of  the  whole  congre 
gation,  Lon  Peters  sat  beside  her  in  Grannie  Bullard's 
pew.  This  action  could  have  but  one  significance, 
and  Mrs.  Justin  gave  voice  to  the  general  speculation 
that  they  must  have  been  engaged  before  the  Bullards 
went  away.  Duly  seated  in  the  parlor,  having  first 
expressed  her  pleasure  in  their  return,  Mrs.  Justin 
said,  — 

"We  should  have  felt  differently  about  your  going 
had  we  known  how  it  stood  between  Alonzo  and 
Mira." 

"  It  wasn't  settled  until  after  we  came  back,"  Mrs. 
Bullard  confessed. 

"  They  have    been   almost  precipitate,  then,"  coir, 
mented  Mrs.  Justin.     "  It's  a  serious  step." 

"Yes,  I  was  afraid  it  would  look  sudden  to  our 
folks,"  -Mrs.  Bullard  replied;  "but  after  seeing  the 
world,  things  look  different,  especially  to  young  people 
like  Mira." 

"  Alonzo  is  a  promising  young  man  ;  she  might  have 
done  worse."  Though  thoughtful,  the  minister's  tone 
was  commendatory. 

"That's  just  the  way  I  feel,"  cried  the  mother. 
"  Why,  she  had  an  offer  within  a  week  after  we  got 
to  Fargo,  —  a  real-estate  agent ;  a  fine-looking  young 
man,  in  a  prosperous  business," 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  79 

"  He  must  have  lacked  character"  said  Mrs.  Justin 
severely. 

Mrs.  Bullard  colored. 

"  Gently,  my  dear,"  the  husband  expostulated. 

"  But  such  a  hasty  proceeding,"  his  wife  urged  in 
justification  of  her  severity. 

"  Oh,  not  unusual  in  Fargo  ! "  cried  Mrs.  Bullard, 
encouraged  by  the  minister's  sympathy.  "Why,  a 
young  man  that  had  met  her  only  three  times  came 
near  shooting  himself  because  she  wouldn't  marry  him 
right  away ;  and  a  young  man  that  had  sung  with  her 
only  one  Sunday  in  the  choir,  and  met  her  for  rehearsal 
twice,  came  near  shooting  her  because  she  would  have 
nothing  to  say  to  him.  She  had  eleven  offers  while 
we  were  gone." 

"  What  desperate  characters  !  "  cried  Mrs.  Justin, 
aghast.  "  To  think  of  their  being  loose  in  the  com 
munity,  to  say  nothing  of  their  being  permitted  in 
society." 

Mrs.  Bullard  had  commenced  these  confessions  with 
a  view  to  bespeaking  leniency  for  her  daughter's  pres 
ent  hasty  movement,  though  a  little  pardonable  pride 
in  her  popularity  had  prompted  the  last  announcement. 

Though  somewhat  abashed  by  the  comment  elicited, 
she  was  not  crushed. 

"  Oh,  but  the  widowers  were  almost  all  of  them 
very  respectable  men!"  she  cried.  "I  mean,  they 
were  all  respectable,  though  two  or  three  of  them  did 
drink  rather  badly.  But  every  one  of  them  had  plenty 


8O  DISILLUSION 

of  money,  though  father  thought  some  of  them  rather 
reckless  in  their  way  of  conducting  business." 

Mrs.  Justin  did  not  reply  to  this  confidence  in 
words,  but  every  outline  of  her  features  expressed 
volumes. 

"  Is  it  true,"  she  presently  asked,  "  that  ladies  who 
are  looked  up  to  and  respected  in  Fargo  society, 
Christian  women,  I  mean,  appear  at  church  in  little 
fancy  bonnets  made  of  lace,  birds,  and  flowers?  And 
that  they  wear  satin,  velvet,  and  plush  dresses  quite 
common  ? " 

"Yes;  I  have  seen  some  of  our  best  society  there 
marketing  in  the  morning  in  dresses  just  such  as  you 
describe.  Many  of  them  would  consider,  it  almost  a 
disgrace  to  wear  a  wool  dress  on  the  street ;  and  they 
go  shopping  in  costumes  that  in  an  Eastern  city  are 
worn  only  at  a  party." 

"  What  a  field  for  a  missionary ! "  and  the  good 
woman's  cheeks  glowed. 

"  Y-e-s  —  y-e-s  —  if  one  has  the  moral  stamina  to 
stem  the  tide.  But  I'll  tell  you  how  it  is.  You  fall 
into  fashions  without  realizing  it.  The  ministers'  wives 
themselves  did  ;  and  it  must  have  been  an  awful  strain, 
for  none  of  them  got  much  salary.  But,  apart  from 
a  natural  desire  to  keep  up,  they  had  to  do  it  in  order 
to  have  any  influence ;  for  who  would  countenance  a 
dowdy,  were  she  ever  so  good  ?  " 

Mrs.  Justin's  natural  attitude  was  erect;  she  now 
drew  herself  very  erect. 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  8 1 

"  I  should  say  the  dowdiness  consisted  in  unsuitable 
apparel." 

"  Well,  I  must  confess  you  couldn't  buy  a  real  good 
article  in  Fargo.  The  stores  didn't  keep  them.  The 
satins  were  sleazy,  the  velvets  cotton-back,  and  the 
plushes  stiff  and  coarse.  Everything  was  sham." 

"  How  about  the  underwear  ?  "  Mrs.  Justin's  stan 
dard  in  that  line  was  even  more  positive. 

"Worse  still.  I  had  never  supposed  the  country 
manufactured  such  rough,  coarse  cotton  goods  as 
that  supplied  by  Fargo  markets  for  winter  wear.  You 
could  get  a  tolerable  quality  of  gauze,  which  was  as 
unsuited  to  the  climate  as  material  could  well  be." 

"  So  the  ministers'  wives  did  not  stand  firm  to  their 
principles?"  Mrs.  Justin  presently  asked. 

"Well,  of  course  I  can't  say  precisely  how  they 
looked  at  it.  Perhaps  their  principles  changed,  or 
perhaps  'twas  policy.  You  know  we  are  told  to  be 
*  wise  as  serpents.' ': 

Had  Mrs.  Justin  been  more  lenient,  Mrs.  Bullard 
would  have  found  relief  in  personal  confession.  As 
it  was,  she  dared  not  admit  that  the  substantial  wool 
dresses  made  for  herself  and  Mira  before  leaving 
home  had,  after  a  week's  acquaintance  with  Fargo 
fashions,  been  stored  away  in  the  bottom  of  a  pack 
ing  trunk,  and  never  again  brought  to  light  until 
shaken  out  the  day  after  their  return  to  Blankridge ; 
nor  would  she  acknowledge  that  their  wardrobe  had 
been  replenished  from  Fargo's  stock  of  satins,  velvets, 


82  DISILLUSION 

and  plushes,  and  that  reconstruction  of  these  materials 
had  been  in  constant  progress,  so  that  different  com 
binations  might  suggest  a  new  garment.  All  this 
material  was  a  dead  loss  for  Blankridge  use ;  for  the 
mental  equilibrium  of  even  the  lawyers'  wives,  who 
led  in  fashion,  would  have  been  questioned  had  they 
appeared  in  such  costume  as  her  trunks  contained. 
And  as  for  their  becoming  available  in  the  bridal 
trousseau,  Grannie  had  already  pronounced  upon  such 
as  had  been  shown  to  her,  — "  Not  fit  for  a  scarecrow 
to  be  seen  in." 

Mrs.  Bullard  promised  to  resume  her  place  in  the 
Dorcas  Society  and  the  Temperance  League;  and  in 
consequence,  Mrs.  Justin  privately  commented  to  her 
husband  that  apparently  the  poor  woman  was  not 
much  hurt  (referring  to  her  spiritual  condition)  by 
her  sojourn  in  the  wild  West. 

Among  Mira's  friends  the  clamor  was  great  that  she 
should  come  back  and  take  up  with  a  Vermont  village 
beau  after  all. 

"  How  is  it  ?  "  "  How  is  it  ?  "  she  was  interrogated 
on  every  side.  "  We  thought  the  poorest  and  plainest 
of  us  could  get  a  husband  West,  and  you  was  always 
popular  at  home.  Isn't  it  true  that  there  is  a  scarcity 
of  women  there?" 

"  Yes  ;  there  has  been  no  exaggeration  on  that  sub 
ject,  at  least.  The  Episcopal  minister's  wife  told  me 
that  she  wished  to  make  a  party  for  the  young  people 
of  their  church  ;  and  after  counting  them  up,  she  found 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  83 

the  young  men  numbered  thirty-seven,  while  she  could 
make  up  only  thirteen  young  ladies,  taking  in  school 
girls  from  twelve  to  fourteen  years  of  age,  at  that." 

Mira  was  too  modest  to  state  her  number  of  offers, 
and  Mrs.  Justin  was  too  conscientious  to  betray  Mrs. 
Bullard's  confidence ;  but  enough  facts  leaked  out 
to  determine  several  maids  of  uncertain  age  to  re 
lieve  the  few  young  men  in  Blankridge  of  any  respon 
sibility  in  their  behalf,  by  testing  the  Western  climate 
at  their  earliest  ability. 

Blankridge  tax-gatherers  were  greatly  troubled 
where  to  place  Mr.  Bullard  financially.  He  'honestly 
asserted  that  he  came  back  ""not  much  worse  off 
either  way."  But  the  statement  seemed  incredible. 

''Didn't  you  go  into  trade?" 

"  Oh,  yes !  Did  more  work  in  one  day  there  than 
in  a  year  at  home." 

"  We  can  see  you  have  aged ;  but  a  man  can  afford 
to  put  a  good  many  years  into  three  months  if  it 
makes  his  fortune." 

"  And  if  it  don't,  he  must  be  satisfied  with  having 
bought  only  experience.'' 

"  But  how  about  Mateson  ?  He  got  rich,  didn't  he  ? 
He  certainly  paid  up  his  old  debts  handsomely." 

Mr.  Bullard  smiled.  "Yes,  he  did  in  Blankridge; 
but  I'm  afraid  he  'robbed  Peter  to  pay  Paul.'  He 
went  West  within  a  week  after  I  got  to  Fargo,  —  in 
Dakota,  'West'  is  nothing  short  of  Washington  Terri- 

V)  —  skipped,  which  means,  you  know,  that  he  would 


84  DISILLUSION 

have  been  detained  had  he  not  left  secretly ;  for  his 
debts  were  of  such  a  peculiar  nature  that,  loose  as  is 
the  standard  of  honor  or  honesty  among  the  diverse 
population  of  a  new  Western  town,  he  would  have 
had  to  settle  pretty  dearly  with  the  law  had  he  been 
caught." 

Public  opinion  was  divided  in  regard  to  Mr.  Bui- 
lard's  gains.  The  "  store  "  congregation  suspended 
judgment.  "  We'll  wait  and  see  how  he  spreads," 
they  decreed.  But  he  didn't  spread  at  all.  Though 
unaware  of  curious  espionage,  when  Mrs.  Bullard 
packed  away  her  Fargo  finery,  she  remarked  in  the 
privacy  of  her  family,  "  We've  spread  enough  for  one 
lifetime." 

After  his  betrothment,  Alonzo  Peters  again  offered 
to  relinquish  the  farm.  But  Grannie  saw  a  Providence 
in  the  present  arrangement.  She  declared  herself  un 
equal  to  further  active  management,  and  proposed  that 
her  son  should  settle  with  her.  She  was  very  proud 
of  his  experience  in  "  foreign  parts ; "  nor  could  he 
ever  disabuse  her  of  the  idea  but  that  it  was  a  great 
moneyed  success,  and  she  advised  extravagances  of 
living  far  more  in  keeping  with  Fargo  recklessness 
than  Vermont  caution.  Though  not  beguiled  into 
ignoring  the  true  state  of  his  finances,  this  condition 
of  affairs  was  comforting  to  Mr.  Bullard's  self-esteem, 
and  flattering  to  his  pride. 

As  the  whole  responsibility  of  managing  his  mother's 
estate  had,  since  his  father's  death,  devolved  upon 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  85 

him,  and  as  his  son's  youth  would  necessitate  his 
continuance  of  the  care  for  some  years  to  come,  Mr. 
Bullard  readily  agreed  to  his  mother's  proposition. 
Next,  Grannie  proposed  a  fine  new  house,  with  new 
furnishings.  But  her  son  only  added  two  rooms  to  the 
old  one,  saying  that  the  new  house  should  be  reserved 
for  Jonnie  when  he  came  of  age.  Mrs.  Bullard,  Jr., 
professed  herself  more  than  satisfied  with  the  arrange 
ment.  In  the  settlement  of  Mira,  who  was  married 
early  in  June,  her  heart's  desire  was  gratified.  Still, 
it  was  evident  to  her  family  that  she  was  not  quite 
happy.  Wandering  attention  and  long-drawn  sighs 
betokened  a  mind  not  at  peace  with  itself. 

New  England  family  regard  is  not  demonstrative. 
Mr.  Bullard  was  aware  of  his  wife's  depression,  though 
he  gave  no  expression  to  his  sympathy.  "  She'll  let 
me  know  if  she  wants  anything,''  was  his  mental  com 
ment. 

Grannie  supposed  her  pining  for  Fargo  pleasures ; 
but  instead  of  denouncing  the  sentiment  as  a  weak 
ness,  felt  pride  that  her  family  had  enjoyed  such  de 
lights.  On  July  4,  Mrs.  Alonzo  Peters  proposed  to 
give  a  family  dinner.  The  invitations  included  her 
husband's  household  as  well  as  her  own.  The  scheme 
met  with  Grannie's  approval,  though  she  was  afraid 
the  attendant  labor  and  responsibility  would  overtax 
her  granddaughter's  strength.  Consequently,  on  the 
morning  in  question,  she  was  up  before  the  sun,  dressed 
herself  in  suitable  working  attire,  folded  her  best 


86  DISILLUSION 

dress  smoothly  in  a  carpet-bag,  and  tied  her  cap  into 
its  appropriate  travelling- basket.  She  breakfasted  with 
her  family  at  six  o'clock,  and  directly  after  Jonnie 
walked  across  the  fields  with  her  to  carry  the  dinner 
costume.  He  was  not  to  return  home  ;  for  permission 
had  been  given  him  to  go  from  his  sister's  to  the  vil 
lage  green,  which  promised  gunpowder  attractions 
dear  to  a  boy's  heart.  Presently  Mr.  Bullard  proved 
them  not  unattractive  to  riper  years,  by  "guessing 
he'd  go  down  and  see  what  they's  up  to." 

Left  in  sole  possession  of  the  house,  Mrs.  Bullard's 
mind  dwelt  undisturbed  upon  its  one  disquietude,  — 
her  Fargo  finery.  It  lay  on  her  conscience  like  scorch 
ing  crime.  Until  it  was  clearly  off  her  hands,  out  of 
the  town,  out  of  the  State,  she  could  not  be  happy. 
It  had  no  place  in  a  respectable  Vermont  community. 
The  rich  would  disdain  its  sham  fabric,  the  poor  d£- 
ride  its  flimsy  gaud.  It  was  unfit  to  be  pieced  into 
bedquilts,  or  braided  into  mats.  Were  she  to  bury 
it  under  cover  of  night  or  solitude,  she  felt  that 
the  earth  would  refuse  to  screen  her,  by  casting ,  it 
up,  as  it  had  refused  shelter  to  the  tell-tale  corpse 
that  Eugene  Aram  strove  to  hide.  She  felt  that  her 
packing-box  contained  a  secret  as  guilty  as  though  its 
accumulation  were  the  product  of  a  rifled  graveyard. 
Her  mental  vision  saw  but  one  way  of  relief;  and  this, 
thus  far,  fate  had  denied  her.  The  spring  had  brought 
the  usual  number  of  peddlers  to  other  parts  of  the 
village,  but  not  one  had  sought  their  precinct.  She 


THE  BOOM  OF  A  WESTERN  TOWN       S/ 

could  not  solicit  their  attendance  through  neighbors, 
for  that  would  involve  questions ;  and  not  even  to 
Grannie  had  she  dared  display  all  its  folly. 

At  this  juncture  of  her  meditations  a  loud  rap  at 
the  kitchen  door  held  the  significance  of  a  constable's 
warrant.  With  trembling  limbs  she  obeyed  the  call. 
Oh,  relief  !  oh,  joy  !  oh,  bliss  unspeakable  !  Before  her 
stood  a  form  in  mortal  guise,  bearing  upon  his  head  a 
large  tray  heaped  with  decorated  glass,  colored  vases, 
and  plaster-of-paris  statuary. 

"  Exchange  for  old  clothes,  marm  ?  Give  you  a  bar 
gain  !  I've  got  to  be  in  Boston  this  afternoon ;  am 
leaving  on  the  nine  o'clock  train.  Last  chance  !  Bet 
ter  trade." 

Mrs.  Bullard  required  neither  solicitation  nor  advice. 
The  "  chance,"  with  its  accompanying  privacy,  had  the 
blessed  significance  of  a  dispensation.  Heedless  of 
his  brigandish  aspect,  Mrs.  Bullard  left  the  man  in 
charge  of  the  lower  floor  while  she  sped  to  the  attic. 
Thrice  she  made  the  journey,  her  arms  laden  with 
the  spoils  of  the  guilty  chest.  In  all  her  triumph, 
her  zeal  was  tempered  with  discretion.  Though  she 
would  have  gladly  given  the  peddler  money  to  dis 
possess  her  of  her  goods,  had  it  been  necessary,  she 
delayed  in  the  selection  from  his  wares,  and  haggled 
on  prices,  until  there  was  only  just  enough  time  left 
for  him  to  reach  the  railroad  station  at  the  hour  he 
had  appointed  for  leaving  town.  He  should  have  no 
opportunity  to  "  blab  "  in  Blankridge.  In  Boston  only 


88  DISILLUSION 

would  her  secret  be  safe,  her  conscience  eased,  her 
victory  won. 

At  nine-thirty  Mr.  Bullard  appeared,  punctual  to 
his  promise,  to  walk  with  his  wife  across  the  fields 
to  Mira's. 

"  Just  come  from  the  depot,"  he  explained.  "  Not 
many  getting  on  or  off  the  nine-o'clock  train.  An 
image  man  hurried  up  at  the  last  minute  ;  in  fact, 
he'd  have  got  left  if  I  hadn't  motioned  the  engi 
neer  to  hold  up.  He  seemed  so  anxious,  I  thought 
'twould  be  no  use  to  tell  him  that  I  guessed,  by  wait 
ing  over,  he  could  make  a  trade  with  you.  I  shall 
never  wear  the  old  brown  overcoat  again ;  and  there's 
a  pair  of  pants  that  are  not  worth  mending,  besides 
some  of  Jennie's  out-grown  clothes." 

"  You're  a  good  man  !  a  good  man ! "  cried  the 
happy  woman,  patting  her  husband  on  the  shoulder; 
"but  he's  been  here.  I  traded  off  a  few  old  things 
of  mine  and  Mira's.  Yours  and  Jonnie's  are  too 
good.  I  shall  braid  them  into  mats.  We  need  some 
in  the  new  part." 

Her  speech  was  more  rapid,  her  tone  higher  pitched, 
and  her  general  manner  more  excited,  than  the  occa 
sion  seemed  to  demand;  nor  did  Mr.  Bullard  conceive 
what  kindly  office  on  his  part  had  won  her  com 
mendation. 

Mrs.  Bullard  had  already  packed  Mira's  portion 
of  the  purchase  in  a  basket,  and  they  took  it  to 
her.  It  was  admired  by  all,  and  inspired  Mother 


THE    BOOM    OF    A    WESTERN    TOWN  89 

Peters  with  the  determination  to  sort  over  the  ward 
robe  of  her  family,  preparatory  to  the  peddler's  next 
visit.  She  stated  her  intention ;  but  Mrs.  Bullard 
knew  that  only  a  patron  of  Fargo  markets  would 
possess  stores  to  exchange  for  so  valuable  a  collec 
tion  of  bric-a-brac  as  she  had  purchased. 

Mira  received  her  portion  as  a  gift,  and  asked  no 
questions.  In  her  present  happiness,  Fargo  experi 
ence  was  remembered  only  as  an  amusing  dream; 
and  the  wedding  trousseau  had  banished  all  interest 
in  her  discarded  Fargo  gowns. 


1EE  AND  SHEPARD'S  POPULAR  FICTION 


AMAXDA   M.   DOUGLAS'  NOVELS 

Osborne  of  Arrochar.     By  AMANDA  M.  DOUGLAS.     Price, 

cloth,  $1.50;  paper,  50  cents. 

"In  this  novel,  the  author  introduces  us  to  an  interesting  family  of  girls, 
who,  in  default  of  the  appearance  of  the  rightful  heir,  occupy  an  old,  aristocratic 
place  at  Arrochar.  Just  as  it  has  reached  the  lowest  point  of  dilapidation, 
through  lack  of  business  capacity  on  the  part  of  the  family,  Osborne  appears 
to  claim  his  inheritance,  and  the  interesting  problem  presents  itself  of  marry 
ing  one  of  the  daughters  or  turning  the  family  out.  The  author  thus  gives 
herself  a  fair  field  to  display  her  skill  in  the  painting  of  character,  the  manage 
ment  of  incident,  and  the  construction  of  the  dialogue.  She  has  been  in  a 
large  degree  successful.  We  feel  that  we  are  dealing  with  real  persons ;  and, 
as  to  the  management  of  the  story,  it  is  sufficient  praise  to  say  that  the 
interest  is  cumulative.  The  book  will  add  to  the  author's  reputation."  —  School 
Journal,  N.  Y. 

The  Heirs  of  Bradley  House.    By  AMANDA  M.  DOUGLAS. 

Price  $1.50. 

*'  The  author  has  won  a  most  honorable  place  in  the  literary  world  by  the 
character  as  well  as  cleverness  of  her  work.  Her  books  are  as  clean  and 
fresh  and  invigorating  as  a  morning  in  May.  If  she  is  not  deep  or  profound, 
she  stirs  in  the  heart  of  her  reader  the  noblest  impulses;  and  whosoever 
accomplishes  this  has  not  written  in  vain." — Chicago  Saturday  Evening 
Herald. 

Whom  Kathie  married.    By  AMANDA  M.  DOUGLAS.    Price 
$1.50. 

Miss  DOUGLAS  wrote  a  series  of  juvenile  stories  in  which  Kathie  figured ; 
and  in  this  volume  the  young  lady  finds  her  destiny.  The  sweetness  and 
purity  of  her  life  is  reflected  in  the  lives  of  all  about  her,  and  she  is  admired 
and  beloved  by  all.  The  delicacy  and  grace  with  which  Miss  DOUGLAS  weaves 
her  story,  the  "nobility  of  her  characters,  the  absence  of  everything  sensational, 
all  tend 'to  make  this  "book  one  specially  adapted  to  young  girls. 

A  Woman's  Inheritance.    By  AMANDA  M.  DOUGLAS.    Price 
$1.50. 

"  Miss  DOUGLAS  is  widely  known  as  a  writer  of  excellent  stories,  all  of  them 
having  a  marked  family  likeness,  but  all  of  them  bright,  fascinating,  and 
thoroughly  entertaining.  This  romance  has  to  do  with  the  fortunes  of  a  young 
woman  whose  father,  dying,  left  her  with  what  was  supposed  to  be  a"  large 
property,  but  which,  under  the  management  of  a  rascally  trustee,  was  very  neaj 
being  wrecked,  and  was  only  saved  by  the  self-denying  devotion  of  one  wha 
was  strictly  under  no  obligation  to  exert  himself  in  its  behalf.  The  interest  of 
the  story  is  well  sustained  to  the  very  close,  and  the  reader  will  follow  the 
fortunes  of  the  various  characters  with  an  absorbed  fascination."  —  Ne-jj  Bed 
ford  Mercury. 

Sydnie  Adriance.    By  AMANDA  M.  DOUGLAS.    Price  $1.50. 

In  this  book,  the  heroine,  being  suddenly  reduced  to  poverty,  refuses  an 
offer  of  marriage,  because  she  thinks  it  comes  from  the  condescension  of  pity 
rather  than  from  the  inspiration  of  love.  She  determines  to  earn  her  living, 
becomes  a  governess,  then  writes  a  book,  which  is  successful,  and  inherits  a 
fortune  from  a  distant  relative.  Then  she  marries  the  man —  But  let  CS  not 
tell  the  story.  The  author  has  told  it  in  a  charming  way. 

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flome  Nook;    OR,  THE  CROWN  OF   DUTY.     By  AMANDA  M. 
DOUGLAS.     Price  $1.50. 

"  This  is  an  interesting-  story  of  home  life,  not  wanting  in  incident,  and 
written  in  a  forcible  and  attractive  style."  —  New  York  Graphic. 

This  volume  is  larger  than  most  written  by  Miss  DOUGLAS,  and  contains 
many  interesting-  scenes  and  characters.  It  would  be  impossible  to  give  a 
condensed  synopsis  of  the  story;  but  it  is  enough  to  say,  that  it  is  a  fresh,  pure, 
and  bright  story,  full  of  the  touches  which  reveal  intense  feeling,  and  go 
straight  to  the  heart;  but  without  the  overstrained  sentiment  which  was  once 
the  bane  of  novels. 

Stephen  Dane.    By  AMANDA  M.  DOUGLAS.    Price  $1.50. 

This  is  the  story  of  a  mechanic  who  worked  his  way  up  from  poverty  to 
affluence.  It  is  complicated  by  a  murder,  committed  by  the  hero's  drunken 
father;  the  victim  being  the  proprietor  of  the  works  where  both  were  employed. 
The  hero  fell  in  love  with  the  young-  daughter  of  the  murdered  man,  and  she 
became  the  lode-star  which  drew  him  on.  Not  that  she  had  a  fortune;  on  the 
contrary,  she  inherited  nothing,  and  she  owed  her  happiness  solely  to  the 
exertions  and  energy  of  her  lover.  It  is  beautifully  written,  and  much 
admired. 

liost  in  a  Great  City.     By  AMANDA  M.  DOUGLAS.     Price, 

cloth,  $1.50;  paper,  50  cents. 

"  This  is  the  strongest  story  which  has  ever  come  from  the  pen  of  Miss 
DOUGLAS,  and  starts  off  with  a  dramatic  touch  which  chains"  the  reader's 
attention  at  once,  and  holds  it  closely  till  the  last  page  is  read.  It  is  the  story 
of  a  little  girl,  Nora,  who,  becoming  separated  from  her  nurse  in  the  busy  and 
crowded  streets  of  New  York,  is  lost  beyond  discovery  for  many  a  year.  .  .  , 
The  denouement  is  entirely  satisfactory,  and  the  plot  of  the  story  is  finely 
conceived  and  carried  out,  with  not  a  page's  loss  of  interest  on  the  part  of  the 
reader."  —  St.  Albans  Messenger. 

Floyd  Grandon's  Honor.    By  AMANDA  M.  DOUGLAS.    Price 
$1.50. 

"The  writings  of  Miss  DOUGLAS  have  found  acceptance  with  the  public, 
because  they  are  characterized  by  good  sense,  a  keen  insight,  and  an  apprecia 
tion  of  all  that  is  good  and  noble  in  human  life.  Her  stories  are  always  pure, 
always  pleasing,  always  elevating.  Floyd  Grandon  is  the  central  figure, 
around  whom  are  grouped  near  relatives  and  friends,  together  with  his  own 
family.  The  pursuits,  pleasures,  and  lives  of  this  charming  circle  at  Grandon 
Park  make  a  sunny  story  whose  brightness  is  not  altogether  unclouded,  for  it 
is  shadowed  by  the  villany  of  Floyd's  partner  in  business,  Mr.  Wilmarth, 
whose  fate  it  is  not  necessary  to  anticipate."  —  Home  Journal. 

Hope  Mills.    By  AMANDA  M.  DOUGLAS.     Price  $1.50. 

This  is  an  entertaining  novel.  The  many  characters  of  the  story  are  drawn 
with  skill,  and  impress  their  individuality  upon  the  reader,  and  the  interest  is 
well  sustained.  But  the  book  is  something  more  than  a  novel.  It  was  written 
to  exhibit  the  workings  of  co-operation  in  a  manufacturing  town.  Hope  Mills, 
having  been  closed  by  a  panic  and  the  dishonesty  of  the  manager,  are  re 
opened  as  a  joint  stock  concern  by  the  operatives.  The  difficulties  and  final 
success  of  the  enterprise  are  portrayed  in  a  lively  narrative. 

Out  of  the  Wreck;  OR,  WAS  IT  WORTH  THE  VICTORY?    By 
AMANDA  M.  DOUGLAS.     Price,  cloth,  $1.50. 

"  This  is  a  strong  and  fascinating  history  of  a  noble  woman,  fighting  her  way 
out  of  the  horrors  of  a  drunkard's  home  on  to  the  heights  of  prosperity  and 
peace.  Against  the  mean  prejudices  of  her  husband's  aristocratic  relatives  she 
engages  in  business,  and  makes  it  a  success,  and  this  gives  her  the  means  of 
saving  and  educating  her  children.  It  is  written  with  delightful  freshness, 
grace,  and  strength,  and  reveal*  a  mind  of  remarkable  refinement  and  power." 
—  North  Adams  Transcript. 

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Nelly  Kinnard's   Kingdom.     By   AMANDA    M.    DOUGLAS. 

frice,  cloth,  $1.50;  paper,  50  cents. 

"  Nellv  Endicott,  a  bright,  lively  girl,  marries  Dr.  Kinnard,  a  widower  with 
two  Children.  On  going  to  her' husband's  home,  she  finds  installed  there 
a  sister  of  his  first  wife  (Aunt  Adelaide,  as  she  is  called  by  the  children), 
who  is  a  vixen,  a  maker  of  trouble,  and  a  nuisance  of  the  worst  kind.  Most 
young  wives  would  have  had  such  a  pest  put  out  of  the  house,  but  Nelly 
endures  the  petty  vexations  to  which  she  is  subjected,  in  a  manner  which 
shows  the  beauty  and  strength  of  her  character.  How  she  surmounted  the 
difliculty,  it  would  not  be  fair  to  state."—  Neiv  York  Evening  Mail. 

From  Hand  to  Mouth.  By  AMANDA  M.  DOUGLAS.  Price  $1.50. 

"This  is  a  thoroughly  good,  true,  pure,  sweet,  and  touching  story.  It  covers 
precisely  those  phases 'of  domestic  life  which  are  of  the  most  common  expe 
rience,  and  will  take  many  and  manv  of  its  readers  just  where  they  have  been 

»i i TI :„  *. ..ui~  :_   z*.    ~ i i •  i  £  i      *  .1 


into  wifehood  and  maternity,  we  have  read  nothing  better  for  many  a  day."  — 
Literary  World. 

A  Modern  Adam  and  Eve  in  a  Garden.    By  AMANDA  M. 

DOUGLAS.     Price  $1.50. 

Bright,  amusing,  and  sensible.  A  story  of  two  people  who  set  out  to  win 
their  share  of  the  world's  wealth,  and  how  they  did  it;  which,  as  a  critic  says, 
"  is  rather  jolly  and  out-of-door-y,  and  ends  in  a  greenhouse,"  —  with  some  love 
and  pathos,  of  course,  and  much  practical  knowledge. 

The  Old  Woman  who  lived  in  a  Shoe.    By  AMANDA  M. 

DOUGLAS.     Price  $1.50. 

This  is  not  a  child's  story,  nor  a  comic  view  of  household  life,  —  as  some 
might  think  from  its  title  —  but  a  domestic  novel,  full  of  the  delights  of  home, 
of  pure  thoughts,  and  gentle  virtues.  It  has  also  sufficient  complications  to 
keep  the  thread  of  interest  drawn,  and  to  lead  the  reader  on.  Among  Miss 
DOUGLAS'  many  successful  books,  there  is  none  more  beautiful  or  attractive,  or 
which  leaves  a  more  permanent  impression. 

Claudia.    By  AMANDA  M.  DOUGLAS.     Price  $1.50. 

This  is  a  romantic  story,  with  abundant  incidents  and  strong  situations. 
The  interest  is  intense.  It  concerns  two  half  sisters,  whose  contrasted  charac 
ter  and  complicated  fortunes  are  the  charm  of  the  book. 

Seven  Daughters.    By  AMANDA  M.DOUGLAS.    Price  $1.50. 

The  "  Seven  "  are  daughters  of  a  country  clergyman  who  is  not  greatly  blessed 
with  the  srood  things  oT  the  world.  The  story  is  related  by  the  eld'est,  who 
considers  herself  far  from  brilliant  or  witty,  but  who  makes  charming  pictures 
of  all  who  figure  in  the  book.  The  good  minister  consents  to  receive  a  number 
of  bright  boys  as  pupil-boarders,  and  the  two  families  make  a  suggestive 
counterpoise,'  with  mutual  advantage.  Destiny  came  with  the  coming  of  the 
boys,  and  the  story  has  naturally  a  happy  end. 

The  Foes  of  her  Household.    By  AMANDA  M.  DOUGLAS. 

Price  $1.50. 

"This  is  an  exceedingly  entertaining  book.  A  simple  girl,  of  beautiful 
character,  marries  a  young'man  in  poor'health  out  of  pure  love,  and  ignorant 
of  the  fact  that  he  is  rich.  His  death  occurs  not  very  long  after  the  marriage, 
and  the  vouag  widow  becomes  the  object  of  practical  persecution  by  his  rela 
tives,  who  misunderstand  her  motives  entirely.  With  a  nobility  of  character, 
as  rare  as  beautiful,  she  destroys  their  prejudice,  and  at  last  teaches  them  to 
love  her." —  Central  Baptist,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

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POPULAR  FICTION 


J.  T.  TKOWBRIDGE'S  NOVELS 


Jack  wood.     By  J.   T.   TROWBRIDGE.     New    Revised 
Edition,  with  Autobiographical  Chapter  and  Portrait.  Price,  $1.50. 

"  It  sparkles  with  wit,  it  is  liquid  with  humor,  it  has  the  unmistakable  touch 
of  nature,  and  it  has  a  procession  of  characters  like  a  novel  of  SCOTT;  indeed, 
in  many  ways  it  recalls  that  great  master.  There  is  less  description  and  more 
action  in  it  than  is  habitual  with  SCOTT,  and  the  conception  of  some  of  its  sec 
ondary  characters,  such  as  the  crazy-brained  Edward  Longman,  would  not  be 
unworthy  of  him."  —  John  Burroughs. 

Neighbor's  Wives.    By  J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE.    Price,  $1.50. 

"  A  new  edition  of  one  of  the  most  successful  of  this  favorite  author's  books.  It 
will  be  read  with  fresh  interest  by  many  who  have  welcomed  it  in  earlier  editions, 
and  to  those  who  now  give  it  their  first  reading  it  will  yield  delightful  entertainment, 
and  unfold  lessons  that  will  live  long  in  the  memory."  —  Gospel  Banner. 

Coupon  Bonds.    By  J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE.    Price,  cloth,  $1.50; 

paper,  50  cents. 

"  '  Coupon  Bonds  '  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  best  short  stories  ever  published 
in  this  country.  It  is  a  most  happy  and  felicitous  stroke.  It  is  brimful  of  the 
very  best  quality  of  humor,  —  the  humor  that  grows  naturally  out  of  the  char 
acter  and  the  situation,  and  it  moves  along  briskly,  without  any  urging  or 
pushing  by  the  author.  It  is  full  of  incident,  full  of  character,  full  of  novel 
and  ludicrous  surprises  and  situations;  and,  if  it  could  be  composed  into  a 
three-act  comedy,  would  be  as  irresistible  in  its  way  as  SHERIDAN'S  '  School  for 
Scandal.'  "  —  Scribner's  Monthly. 

Cudjo's  Cave.      By  J.   T.   TROWBRIDGE.      Price,  cloth,  $1.50; 

paper,  50  cents. 

Mr.  TROWBRIDGE'S  readers  are  accustomed  to  plenty  of  lively  incidents  and 
exciting  adventures,  and  in  this  volume  the  supply  is  surely  abundant.  The 
story  opens  with  the  adventures  of  a  Quaker  schoolmaster  in  Tennessee  pre 
vious  to  the  opening  of  the  late  war,  and  the  exciting  scenes  attendant  upon 
the  opening  of  the  great  struggle  between  North  and  South  are  portrayed  in  a 
graphic  manner.  Many  of  the  chapters  recall  the  stories  of  thrilling  adven 
ture  that  were  current  in  war  times. 

Three   Scouts.     By  J.   T.   TROWBRIDGE.      Price,  cloth,  $1.50; 
paper,  50  cents. 

This  story  is  a  companion  to  "  Cudjo's  Cave  "  and  "  The  Drummer  Boy,"  in 
being  a  narrative  of  stormy  events  in  the  Civil  War,  when  the  army  of  the 
Cumberland,  under  Rosecrans,  and  the  Confederate  forces,  under  Bragg,  were 
battling  with  each  other  in  1862.  Yet  it  is  complete  in  itself  as  a  story. 

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The  Drummer  Boy.      By  J.   T.   TROWBRIDGE.      Illustrated. 
Price  $1.50. 

The  author  of  this  hook  is  so  famous  as  a  story-writer,  that  another  excellent 
one  is  only  what  all  his  readers  expect.  Jt  is  a  story  of  the  late  war,  and  of  a  boy 
who  went"  into  the  army  as  a  drummer,  and  who,  from  the  good  instructions  of 
a  fond  and  noble  mother,  sought  to  impart  to  his  rude  and  reckless  companions 
some  of  the  good  of  his  own  character. 

FarnelFs  Folly.     By  J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE.     Price  $1.50. 

All  the  sterling  qualities  which  have  placed  Mr.  TROWBRIDGE  among-  the 
foremost  of  American  novelists  are  to  be  found  in  this  new  romance.  It  is  not 
a  short  story  or  series  of  sketches  that  may  be  "  devoured  "  in  an  hour,  but, 
as  the  number  of  its  pages  testify,  a  full-blooded  romance,  alive  with  incident, 
and  overflowing  with  interest. 

Martin  Merrivale:    His  X  MARK.      By  J.  T.   TROWBRIDGE. 

Price  $1.50. 

This  story  of  New  England  life  abounds  in  passages  of  rare  humor  and 
pathos.  Not  even  in  "Coupon  Bonds"  nor  in  "Neighbor  Jackwood "  has 
TROWBRIDGE  created  characters  better  fitted  to  give  him  enduring  fame.  No 
one  can  read  the  story  without  seeing  that  the  author  has  put  his  whole  soul  in 
it.  On  his  last  page,  he  says,  and  evidently  in  all  sincerity,  that  he  has 
written  it,  "  not  for  fame,  still  less  for  fortune,  but  all  tor  love." 


OLIVER  OPTIC'S  NOVELS 

Three  Millions;  OR,  THE  WAY  OF  THE  WORLD.  Bv  WILLIAM 
T.  ADAMS  (OLIVER  OPTIC).  Price,  cloth,  $1.50";  paper,  50 
cents. 

The  book  furnishes  a  most  romantic,  and,  withal,  a  most  instructive  illustra 
tion  of  the  way  of  the  world  in  its  false  estimate  of  money.  All  who  read  the 
first  chapter,  entitled  "  Three  Millions,"  will  not  be  satisfied  until  they  have 
read  the  thirty-five  chapters,  terminating  with  "  The  Last  of  the  'Three 
Millions." 

Living:  too  Fast.  By  WILLIAM  T.  ADAMS  (OLIVER  OPTIC). 
Price  $1.50. 

This  is  the  best  novel  of  a  fascinating  writer.  It  is  full  of  incidents  of  a 
fast  life,  and  of  the  expedients  to  keep  up  appearances,  resulting  in  crime, 
remorse,  and  the  evil  opinion  of  all  good  men.  The  narrative  is  replete  with 
startling  situations,  temptations,  and  all  the  elements  of  a  thrilling  story. 

In  Doors  and  Out.    By  WILLIAM  T.  ADAMS  (OLIVER  OPTIC), 

Price  $1.50. 

This  volume  contains  about  thirty  bright  and  interesting  stories  of  domestic 
life,  directed  against  the  follies  and  foibles  of  the  age.  They  are  written  in  a 
kindly,  genial  style,  and  with  a  sincere  purpose  to  promote  happiness,  good 
feeling,  and  right  dealing  in  domestic,  business,  and  social  relations. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  BOSTON,  SEND  THEIR  COMPLETE  CATALOGUE  FREE. 


LEE  AND  SHEPARD'S  POPULAR  FICTION 


VIRGINIA  F.  TOWNSEND'S  BOOKS 

A  Boston  Girl's  Ambition.     By  VIRGINIA  F.  TOWNSEND. 

Price  $1.50. 

"  This  is  a  grand  story,  grandly  told.  The  little  mists  which  went  to  make  up 
the  shadows  of  the  years  in  the  lives  of  two  young  people,  the  sufferings  and 
privations  of  Dorrice  and  Carryl,  their  struggle  upward,  and  the  happiness 
which  smiled  upon  them  at  the  end  of  the  struggle,  will  cause  the  story  to 
linger  long  in  the  minds  and  hearts  of  its  readers." —  Washington  Chronicle. 

That  Queer  Girl.    By  VIRGINIA  F.  TOWNSEND.    Price  $1.50. 

The  "  Queer  Girl  "  is  a  charming  character,  and  so  is 'Rowan,  the  real  hero. 
She  is  "queer"  only  in  being  unconventional,  brave,  and  frank,  —  "an  old- 
fashioned  girl."  The  girls  who  follow  her  history,  and  that  of  her  pleasant 
companions,  are  sure  of  being  delightfully  entertained;  and  they  may,  if  they 
will,  take  a  lesson  from  brave,  unselfish  Madeline. 

Daryll  Gap.    By  VIRGINIA  F.  TOWNSEND.     Price  $1.50. 

The  celebrity  of  VIRGINIA  F.  TOWNSKND  as  an  authoress,  her  brilliant 
descriptive  powers,  and  pure,  vigorous  imagination,  will  insure  a  hearty  wel 
come  for  the  above-entitled  volume,  written  in  the  writer's  happiest  vein. 

"  A  story  of  the  petroleum  days,  and  of  a  family  who  struck  oil.  Her  plots 
are  well  arranged,  and  her  characters  are  clearly  and  strongly  drawn."  — 
Pittsburg  Recorder. 

LiCnoxDare.    By  VIRGINIA  F.  TOWNSEND.     Price  $1.50. 

A  story  of  New  England  people,  and  of  life  associated  with  Hampton 
Beach  and  its  vicinity.  The  plot  is  natural  and  well  treated,  and  the  senti 
ments  pure.  The  story  is  very  entertaining,  and,  to  the  thoughtful  reader, 
instructive  and  stimulating. 

A  Woman's  Word,  and  how  she  kept  it.    By  VIRGINIA  F. 
TOWNSEND.     Price  $1.50. 

"This  is  a  thoroughly  charming  story,  natural,  wholesome,  and  extremely 
interesting.  The  heroine  is  a  delightful  creation,  and  all  the  dramatis  persona 
are  remarkably  well  drawn.  It  is  pleasant  to  come  across  a  novel  so  entirely 
worthy  of  pra'ise,  and  we  commend  it  without  reserve  to  all  our  readers."  — 
Charleston  News. 

Mostly  Marjorie  Day.     By  VIRGINIA  F.  TOWNSEND.     Price, 

cloth,  $1.50;  paper,  50  cents. 

In  this  book,  there  is  the  endeavor  of  a  noble  and  lovable  girl  to  escape  from 
the  conventionalities  which  fettered  her  life,  and  engage  in  some  serious  duty. 
She  became  a  nurse,  and,  in  the  end,  had  her  exceeding  great  reward.  It  is  a 
bright,  spirited,  and  sometimes  delicately  huuiorous  story,  with  a  well  managed 
plot,  and  life-like  characters. 

But  a  Philistine.     By  VIRGINIA  F.  TOWNSEND.     Price  $1.50. 

One  of  the  most  pleasing  works  of  this  author.  It  is  a  story  of  natural 
thoughts  rather  than  events;  and  it  is  the  author's  unique  coupling  of  passive 
subject  and  vigorous  style  that  gives  the  work  its  attractive  quality.  The 
characters  are  strong,  and  several  of  the  scenic  descriptions  have  the  true  ring 
of  poetic  appreciation,  while  in  conversational  passages  the  diction  is  bright, 
pleasing,  and  varied. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  BOSTON,  SEND  THEIR  COMPLETE  CATALOGqE  FH.EE. 


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